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Lahore air quality 50 times higher than the WHO guideline

A toxic cocktail of particulate matter’ both locally-generated and blown in from crop burning in India, has made Lahore the most polluted city in the world, with a PM2.5 concentration of 249µg/m³, 49.8 times higher than the WHO annual air quality guideline value.

The city’s AQI reached 707 at 8am this morning before falling to 348, at which point it was still the most polluted city in the world. 

Polluted air is arriving in the city on winds bringing in the effects of crop burning in India. This is thought to account for around 30% of Lahore’s air quality woes and the situation is not expected to improve in the immediate future.

Parents in Lahore have been warned that they must not send their children to school without proper protection and the schools themselves are opening later to avoid the worst of the conditions.

All fireworks have been banned in the city until January 31st.

In a press conference yesterday, Maryam Aurangzeb , Punjab’s Senior Minister called on Lahore’s residents to help in the battle against smog, but added that with individual and collective efforts, it would still be eight to 10 years before the benefits would be seen. Residents have been given a number on which they can report any environmental pollution violations.

In efforts to improve the longer term air quality, 212 kilns have been demolished in the city and 700 in the wider province, while the Environmental Protection Department has visited 15,000 industrial units, sealing 64 mills and demolishing 152 factories.

The poor air quality has reduced visibility to levels that have prompted traffic warning to drivers, while even aircraft have been affected, with passengers complaining about air quality in the plane as high as 5,000 feet.

‘Lahore tops the most polluted cities, breathing is impossible, school timings changed’


Paul Day
Paul is the editor of Public Sector News.

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