Lahore again ranks world’s most polluted major city

Lahore was ranked the world’s most polluted major city on Wednesday morning as smog thickened over the city with the onset of colder weather.

In the past few years, air pollution has become one of the most pressing public health and environmental crises facing Pakistan. Various cities of the country, most notably Lahore, deal with smog, especially in the winter months. The phenomenon is attributed mainly to industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, stubble burning and air movement.

According to the live air quality ranking published by Swiss air quality monitoring platform IQAir, Lahore recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 296 at 10am on October 28, placing it at the top of the list of the world’s major cities.

Cairo ranked second with an AQI of 289, followed by Delhi at 272. Tashkent stood fourth with an AQI of 186, while Karachi ranked fifth at 173, according to the ranking.

The readings placed Lahore and Cairo in the ‘very unhealthy’ category under the US AQI scale, while Delhi’s air quality was also in the same category.

An AQI reading of 296 indicates a high level of air pollution that can pose health risks, particularly for children, older people and those with respiratory or heart conditions.

The worsening air quality coincided with colder conditions in Lahore during the early morning, when smog reduced visibility and added to concerns over the city’s deteriorating air quality.

Residents were advised to limit prolonged outdoor exertion when pollution levels were high, particularly those with asthma and other respiratory conditions.