Punjab faces worsening air quality as smog continues to blanket the region, with Lahore reaching an AQI of 824 on Thursday, leaving residents struggling with the severe pollution.
Lahore is currently ranked the world’s most polluted city, with citizens experiencing major health issues due to the poor air quality.
New Delhi follows closely behind, with an AQI of 428, placing it as the second-most polluted city globally.
In response to the pollution crisis, Punjab’s government has ordered the temporary closure of schools up to the higher secondary level in several heavily affected districts, including Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan, until November 17.
The worsening air quality has pushed authorities to take immediate action, especially to safeguard children.
Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb highlighted that wind patterns from India are aggravating the smog situation in Lahore, a claim supported by Environmental Protection Secretary Jahangir Anwar.
He explained that the polluted air from the east has amplified Lahore’s AQI readings.
Recently, Lahore has seen dangerous levels of PM2.5 pollutants — fine particles that pose severe health risks.
This particulate level surged past 1,000 at its peak, while WHO considers anything above 10 as harmful.
