Light ran improves air quality in Lahore

Forecasters say similar weather to persist today

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LAHORE:

The first rain of the new year, though scattered and light, provided much-needed relief to Lahore's deteriorating air quality on Sunday, as the Met Office forecast similar weather to continue for the next 24 hours.

The rain began in the early hours of Sunday and continued intermittently across various parts of the city until the evening. According to Met officials, a frontal weather system was impacting northern regions of the country and expected to persist until Monday.

They predict cloudy skies with rain and snowfall in Kashmir, Murree, Galliyat, Gilgit-Baltistan, and upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Moderate to dense fog was likely in most plains of Punjab and upper Sindh during the early morning and night hours.

Rain was also reported in other cities, while snowfall was recorded in Chitral, Kalam, Drosh, and Malam Jabba. The lowest temperature on Sunday was recorded in Ziarat at -11°C, while Lahore experienced a minimum of 7.3°C and a maximum of 17.5°C.

Following the rain, Lahore's average AQI improved but remained at an unhealthy 169, with PM2.5 levels recorded at 16.4 times higher than WHO guidelines. The most polluted localities included the US Consulate (573 AQI), Ada Plot, Raiwind Road (394 AQI) and Johar Town (285 AQI).

In Karachi, the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted cold and dry weather in most districts of the Sindh during the next 24 hours. However, moderate to dense fog in patches was forecast in Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Khairpur, Mohenjodaro and their surroundings areas.

Earlier, the Department of Environmental Protection claimed to combat smog and air pollution for the past 10 months. Strict actions are being taken against violators of environmental laws.

The department has inspected 11,000 brick kilns across Punjab, issuing 11,153 notices, demolishing 1,191 kilns, sealing 1,335 and registering 1,832 cases. Furthermore, 484 factories were sealed for violating environmental laws, 174 cases were filed, and fines amounting to Rs46m were imposed. Efforts to curb fugitive dust included inspections of 4,588 sites, with 688 notices issued and 46 sites sealed. With input from APP