Pollution touches hazardous level

Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Addu, Nankana Sahib record AQI of 500

LAHORE:

Smog continued to blanket Lahore as the city topped IQAir's ranking of the world's most polluted major cities, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 298, while Punjab's environmental monitoring dashboard placed Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Addu and Nankana Sahib at the highest reported reading of 500.

According to the latest IQAir figures, Lahore was followed by Kolkata with an AQI of 189 and Delhi at 186.

However, the Punjab AQI dashboard placed Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Addu and Nankana Sahib jointly at the top of its city ranking, each recording an AQI of 500.

Lahore ranked fourth in the provincial list with an AQI of 433, followed by Sheikhupura at 348 and Kasur 343. Sahiwal recorded 338, Wazirabad 326 and Khushab 310, while Faisalabad registered 307.

The figures indicate that severe air pollution is not confined to Lahore, with several other cities across Punjab also recording very high readings.

The provincial dashboard and IQAir use separate monitoring networks and reporting systems.

Area-wise readings for Lahore earlier in the day showed particularly high pollution levels in several localities. Iqbal Town recorded an AQI of 902, followed by Paragon City at 698, Chaman Park 619, Barki Road 569, Model Town 471, DHA Phase V 412, Bedian Road 358 and Askari 10 recorded 298.

Meteorological information indicated dry weather in the city, with no rain forecast. The maximum temperature was recorded at 29°C. Humidity stood at 65 per cent, while wind speed was recorded at 3km per hour.

The lack of rainfall and slow winds can limit the dispersal of pollutants, although changes in weather and emissions will influence how air quality develops.

Residents were advised to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and take precautions when going outside. People with respiratory conditions should be particularly careful during periods of heavy pollution.

Lahore had plunged deeper into smog in the morning with the AQI soaring above 500 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) reaching 343 micrograms per cubic metre at 8am, exposing millions of residents to dangerously polluted air.

The readings were among the most alarming reported so far during the ongoing smog season.

Smog blanketed several parts of the city and adjoining localities.

Gujranwala recorded an AQI of 606, Faisalabad and Multan 310, and Sialkot 260, highlighting a growing regional air pollution emergency.

Lahore's pollution levels also placed it at the top of the global major cities' pollution ranking in the morning.

The deterioration raised questions about the effectiveness of the government's anti-smog actions as crop residue burning, industrial and vehicular emissions as well as construction dust continued to aggravate pollution across Lahore and neighbouring districts.

Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala, Nankana Sahib and several other districts were also affected.

Industrial fuel consumption, brick kilns, stubble burning, waste disposal practices and emissions from transport add to the pollution.

According to a website, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellites detected 13,241 fire spots in Punjab between October 1 and 29.