LAHORE: Lahore, the home more than 14 million people, has retained title of the world’s most polluted city in Swiss group IQAir’s live rankings.
According to a report by IQAir, which tracks real-time data on air quality worldwide, the air quality index (AQI) in the Punjab province capital peaking 303 in the hazardous category at 9: 30 am on Monday. The hazardous category is considered extremely harmful and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.
Meanwhile, Delhi, ranking as the world most polluted city for the past two days, recorded slightly improvement in its air quality levels and recorded with AQI 254, making it the second most polluted city globally.
Karachi, the Pakistan largest city, ranking as third polluted city with AQI soaring to 215.
At the same time, the Lahore concentration of PM2.5 pollutants—fine particulate matter that poses significant health risks—were recorded at 226.5 micrograms per cubic meter in Lahore, which is over 45.3 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual air quality guideline value.
An AQI below 50 is considered good ‘moderate’ between ’51 and 100′, ‘unhealthy for sensitive group’ at ‘101 and 150’, ‘unhealthy’ at ‘151-200’, very unhealthy at 201-300, 301 and above is ‘hazardous’.
According to this year’s Life Quality Index Institute report, compiled by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, the people of Lahore could have had their lives shortened by 7.5 years due to the poor air they breathe.
To control the smog crisis, the Punjab government has this month closed public places including parks, zoos, playgrounds, joy/play lands, historical places, monuments, and museums in smog-hit districts including Lahore.
Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has described smog as a serious threat and said that it is likely to cause 250,000 premature deaths.
It should be noted that the situation of smog in the capitals of Punjab, Lahore, and Multan, is particularly disturbing. The provincial capital has been the most polluted city in the world for many days.
