LAHORE — Heavy smog continues to blanket provincial capital Lahore, pushing air quality of metrpolis to hazardous levels, making it second most polluted city in world today.
In the early hours of Monday, the AQI Index reached a critical 490, signaling dangerous pollution levels, while Delhi topped the global chart with an AQI of 1,226.
At noon, the city of 13.5 million is experiencing very unhealthy air quality, with AQI of 220, primarily due to high levels of PM2.5. The pollutants are at 144.7 µg/m³, which is 28.9 times above the WHO’s annual air quality guideline.
Most Polluted Cities in Pakistan
| Rank | City | AQI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lahore, Punjab | 307 |
| 2 | Multan, Punjab | 232 |
| 3 | Karachi, Sindh | 192 |
| 4 | Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 175 |
| 5 | Rawalpindi, Punjab | 167 |
| 6 | Islamabad, Islamabad | 153 |
| 7 | Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 120 |
| 8 | Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 75 |
The air quality saw little improvement, moving out of most toxic category as toxic pollutant levels dropped slightly. AQI surged past 300 mark again, continuing to pose serious health risks to residents.
On the other hand, the country’s largest city continues to struggles with air pollution, ranking 7th globally with unhealthy numbers. The widespread pollution is creating dangerous conditions across the region, including temporary closure of several major motorways due to reduced visibility.
