The air quality in Lahore has soared to a hazardous level, recording a staggering score of 414 as of 6:30am on Monday morning.
As per the Swiss air quality monitor, anything above the 300 mark on the Air Quality Index (AQI) is considered “hazardous”.
A day earlier, the city witnessed some improvement with its AQI dropping out of the “hazardous” level after artificial rain.
Following this, Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Delhi’s smog index has surged from 601 to 720, whereas Lahore’s air quality index improved from a score of 247 in the morning to 177 by the evening.
The minister further said that a shift in the direction of easterly winds has temporarily halted the influx of polluted air from India into Pakistan.
She further explained that the “fog” observed in Pakistan tonight is a result of air quality conditions caused by post-harvest wheat residue.
Lockdown in Lahore
The Punjab government declared on Friday a health emergency in Lahore and Multan as the provincial capital maintained its position as the most polluted city in the world in terms of its air.
The schools will remain closed for another week due to the hazardous air quality.
Colleges and universities will switch to online classes to ensure the safety of students. While on weekend lockdown will be observed.
Last week, Lahore’s air quality remained hazardous, with an index score of 1172 according to IQAir.
Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore contributes to toxic air, which the WHO says can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.
