Air pollution crisis in Lahore: Smog reaches record levels, India blamed for cross-border pollutants
PTC Web Desk: Air pollution in Lahore has reached unprecedented levels, blanketing Pakistan's second-largest city with dense smog and leaving 14 million residents struggling to breathe. The dire situation has prompted the authorities to take emergency measures and has even sparked accusations against India. A senior minister claimed that “strong winds” carried pollutants from the neighbouring country into Pakistan.
On Sunday, Lahore once again topped the global list of cities with the worst air quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city had skyrocketed to a staggering 1,067 the day before. For context, an AQI reading of 0-50 is classified as ‘good,’ 51-100 as ‘satisfactory,’ 101-200 as ‘moderate,’ 201-300 as ‘poor,’ 301-400 as ‘very poor,’ 401-450 as ‘severe,’ and anything above 450 is deemed ‘severe plus.’
To mitigate the hazardous conditions, the authorities in Lahore have announced a week-long closure of schools starting Monday. Additionally, a “green lockdown” has been implemented, requiring 50% of employees in both government and private sectors to work from home. The measures also include bans on two-stroke engine tuk-tuks, open-fire cooking at restaurants and food stalls, and construction activities.
In response to the crisis, schoolchildren in Lahore have been prohibited from outdoor physical activities until at least January 2025, and school hours have been adjusted to reduce exposure during peak pollution periods. During a press conference, Punjab province's senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb stressed the need for dialogue with India to address the pollution crisis, stating that the issue “cannot be solved without talks with India.” She also urged residents to limit travel, stay indoors, and keep windows and doors closed.
Raja Jehangir Anwar, another Punjab official, highlighted stubble burning in India as a significant contributor to the pollution, calling it the “biggest headache.” The authorities are set to reassess the air quality on November 9 to decide whether schools can reopen.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz called for collaborative efforts between Pakistan and India to combat the smog, stating that it is a shared environmental threat and “not a political but a humanitarian issue.” According to research from the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, pollution levels in Lahore are so severe that they reduce residents' life expectancy by an average of 7.5 years.
UNICEF also highlighted the impact of air pollution on children, noting that nearly 600 million children across South Asia are exposed to hazardous air quality, with half of all childhood pneumonia deaths linked to pollution.
- With inputs from agencies
