Lahore leads pollution chart, Karachi's AQI hovers around 'very unhealthy' threshold
Karachi registers fourth-worst air quality, while Multan emerges as country's second-most polluted city with AQI of 294
December 01, 2024
- Lahore's AQI value crosses "hazardous" level.
- Karachi becomes world's fourth most polluted city.
- PM2.5 levels exceed WHO guidelines by large margin.
Despite stringent government measures, smog continues to suffocate people in many parts of the country, making Lahore the most polluted city in the world, while placing Karachi in fourth position with an "unhealthy" air quality index (AQI) on Sunday.
According to data from the Swiss group IQAir, Lahore's AQI stood at a "hazardous" 303, while the port city's AQI hovered around the 200 mark, the threshold considered "very unhealthy."
The concentration of PM2.5 pollutants in the air was 24.2 times higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline value.
The levels of pollution in the air remained fluctuating throughout the last 24 hours in Karachi, mostly above 200 after midnight before dropping to 197.
Both Lahore and Karachi, home to millions and key economic hubs, boast a large number of vehicles and several industrial units which contribute towards their high AQI readings.
However, the provincial capitals are not the only cities facing the brunt of the smog phenomenon as Multan's AQI was recorded at 294 making it the second most polluted city in Pakistan.
It was followed by Rawalpindi (220) and Peshawar (204) as the third and fourth most polluted cities, respectively.
Meanwhile, the federal capital Islamabad today emerged as the seventh most polluted city in the country with an AQI of 170.
Every winter, a mix of low-grade fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, exacerbated by seasonal crop burn-off by farmers, blanket parts of the country, trapped by cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds.
The issue has led to the enforcement of strict measures by the government including a crackdown against smoke-emitting vehicles, brick kilns and industries that fail to meet the relevant regulations.
"Prior to these record-breaking levels of air pollution, about 12% of deaths in children under five in Pakistan were due to air pollution. The impact of this year's extraordinary smog will take time to assess," he remarked adding that the rise in pollution levels will have devastating effects, particularly on children and pregnant women.
