Lahore tops polluted cities' list again

LAHORE:

Lahore once again topped the list of the world's most polluted cities, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 288 on IQAir's global ranking, while the Punjab government's monitoring platform recorded an AQI of 347 at 7am, indicating hazardous air quality.

According to the Punjab Air Quality Index platform, Lahore's AQI stood at 305 at the same time on Thursday, marking an increase of 42 points within 24 hours.

IQAir's global ranking placed New Delhi second among the world's most polluted cities, with an AQI of 243. Dakar, the capital of Senegal, ranked third with 194, while Kolkata, India, stood fourth with an AQI of 178.

The difference between Lahore's readings on IQAir and the provincial monitoring platform may be due to variations in monitoring stations, data sources and update times.

Within Punjab, Lahore recorded the highest AQI at 347, followed by Nankana Sahib at 345, Kasur at 292, Sheikhupura at 278 and Wazirabad at 275, according to provincial air quality data.

Several localities in Lahore also reported high levels of air pollution. Shahdara, Kahna Nau and Multan Road each recorded an AQI of 500, while Gulberg III registered 394 and DHA Phase VI recorded 379. The AQI at Punjab University stood at 316.