Lahore's air quality deteriorates

Lahore's air quality remained in the very unhealthy zone on Sunday, with the city recording an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 314 between 8am and 3pm, according to data released by the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

Several monitoring points reported more alarming numbers, with Egerton Road topping the list at 429, followed by Wagah at 421, and Kahna Nau Hospital at 374. Other hotspots included Shahdara (357), the LWMC station (328), Safari Park and FMDRC (287), PKLI (272), and UET (266), underscoring the widespread severity of smog in the provincial capital.

The Punjab-wide AQI average stood at 198, categorised as "unhealthy for sensitive group". Lahore remained the most polluted district, followed by Narowal (265), Muzaffargarh (254), Khanewal (237), and Hafizabad (213). Several other districts, including Gujranwala, Kasur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Multan, also reported AQI levels above 190.

Only a few southern districts such as Bahawalpur (144) and Mian Channu (108) remained in the moderate-to-satisfactory range.

Officials said the persistent smog levels were driven by a combination of vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction dust, and stagnant weather conditions across the plains.