A global pollution index on Monday listed two Pakistani cities among the top most polluted cities in the world.
The Air Quality Index, which tracks air quality in real-time, placed Lahore and Karachi at number one and three, respectively.
The latest update on iqair.com lists Lahore’s air pollution as unhealthy noting the city’s PM2.5 concentration, at the time of this writing, is 11.7 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value.
The index also recommends citizens avoid outdoor exercise, close windows to avoid dirty air, wear a mask, and run an air purifier as recommendations against Lahore’s unhealthy weather.
Lahore, Karachi among world’s most polluted cities
Per Lahore News, the air quality index for Lahore on Monday was 229 with Karachi recording an AQI of 181. Iraq’s capital Baghdad took the second spot in AQI with 200.
Air with AQI 151-200 is considered hazardous to breathe while 201-300 is considered extremely hazardous. Cities with AQI above 301 are categorized as extreme pollution centres.
It is worth mentioning that Punjab Chief Minister Mariam Nawaz had proposed a collaboration between Pakistan and India to combat smog and extreme levels of air pollution.
“We should talk to them, this is called climate diplomacy. We should do it with India,” she said, adding the two nations needed to coordinate actions to temper toxic smog, which winds carry across the border.
