DG Khan tops pollution list

LAHORE:

Dera Ghazi Khan ranked as the most polluted city in Punjab on Tuesday.

The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) spiked to a hazardous 500, posing a severe threat to public health.

Faisalabad followed with an AQI of 371, Sargodha 343, Multan 340, Sheikhupura 325, Kasur 321, Gujranwala 298, Sialkot 291, and Lahore 285, all falling within the "very unhealthy" to "hazardous" ranges.

Egerton Road in Lahore also recorded an AQI of 500, while Kahna Nau stood at 337, Shahdara 334, Punjab University 282, GT Road 277, Safari Park 262, Multan Road 220, and both Burki Road and DHA Phase 6 reported 193. The Wagah Border area recorded a relatively lower but still unhealthy level of 184.

Data from the past four years indicates that air quality in Lahore remains critically poor during October and November.

In 2022, the city's average AQI in October was 182, with two days classified as "poor," 19 as "unhealthy" and three "very unhealthy".