Lahore was ranked the world’s most polluted major city on Friday morning, with its air quality falling into the “unhealthy” category, as Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the provincial government was working to address the region’s persistent environmental challenges.
According to air quality monitoring platform IQAir, Lahore recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 167 on Friday morning, placing it at the top of the global ranking at that time. Dhaka followed with an AQI of 164, while Cairo recorded 158. The rankings are based on real-time readings and can change during the day as pollution levels fluctuate.
Lahore was the only Pakistani city among the top 30 in the cited global ranking, while Karachi stood at 34th place with an AQI of 69.
IQAir said Lahore’s PM2.5 concentration was 15.2 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s annual guideline value at the time of the reported reading.
PM2.5 refers to fine airborne particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. Such particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and may enter the bloodstream, with prolonged exposure associated with serious health risks.
IQAir advised Lahore residents to limit outdoor exercise, keep windows closed to reduce exposure to polluted outdoor air, wear masks while outside and use indoor air purifiers where possible.
Air pollution has become a recurring environmental and public health concern across Pakistan, particularly in Lahore and other parts of Punjab during the autumn and winter months. Industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, crop-residue burning and weather conditions that restrict the dispersal of pollutants are among the factors commonly linked to severe smog episodes.
Addressing senior officials in Lahore on Friday, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the Punjab government was taking measures to tackle environmental problems. She said Lahore and parts of Punjab had historically experienced severe smog conditions around September and October, adding that pollution levels had declined over the past three years, although smog had not been eliminated.
Earlier this year, Lahore was also ranked the world’s most polluted major city by IQAir when its AQI reached 452 in January.
The latest air-quality concerns come after an analysis by the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service identified Lahore among cities experiencing “extremely poor” ozone conditions.
Real-time IQAir data can vary considerably by hour and monitoring station. Later readings on October 2 showed Lahore’s AQI moving into the “very unhealthy” range, underscoring the rapidly changing nature of the city’s air pollution levels.
Air-quality rankings and AQI readings are based on real-time monitoring data and are subject to change throughout the day.
