Lahore’s air quality showed marginal improvement on Sunday, as its Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped from the “hazardous” range for the first time in weeks, though pollution levels remain alarmingly high.
Based on data from the Swiss monitoring platform IQAir, the city’s AQI registered at 295, classified as “very unhealthy,” positioning Lahore as the second-most polluted city globally.
New Delhi, India, retained its spot as the most polluted city, recording an AQI of 751.
With a population exceeding 14 million, Lahore continues to grapple with Punjab’s deepening smog crisis.
Smog has become an annual occurrence aggravated by cold weather trapping pollutants, emissions from low-quality fuel, and smoke from illegal crop burning.
Punjab authorities have partly blamed cross-border factors, pointing to India, where New Delhi consistently tops the list of the world’s most polluted cities.
Frequent AQI readings above 300 in Lahore underscore the gravity of the crisis, as such levels are deemed “hazardous” by air quality experts.
Although Sunday’s readings marked slight relief, the city has remained prominent among the world’s most polluted urban areas in recent weeks.
Responding to the escalating emergency, Punjab’s Senior Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, declared a health crisis on Saturday in cities like Lahore and Multan.
The smog, labeled a “national disaster,” has led to the implementation of extraordinary measures to address the worsening air quality.
