Pakistan’s Lahore city continued to remain at the top of global pollution charts with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 300 as smog covered the region today. According to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, Lahore recorded an AQI of 563 this morning, placing it in the Hazardous category. Along with Lahore, Pakistan’s Karachi also featured in the top 10 most polluted cities globally.
The city stood at the seventh spot in the list with an AQI recorded at 154. Meanwhile, Faisalabad region of Punjab recorded an AQI of 1037, 119 times above the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. The AQI recorded in these regions showcase the scale of the ongoing air quality crisis in Pakistan. Despite authorities claims of implementing measures to combat the worsening smog, violations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) continue in the region.
Several smoke-emitting brick kilns continue to operate in Batapur and other Lahore suburbs, emitting dense fumes into the air. Trucks which carry construction materials also move on the road without tarpaulins, further increasing pollution levels.
