Lahore tops the world's most polluted cities again as smog pushes AQI past 350
Lahore ranked as the world's most polluted city again on Thursday, with the average air quality index reaching 338 and several neighbourhoods recording hazardous readings above 500, as the winter smog season tightens its grip on Punjab.
Lahore has once again ranked as the world's most polluted city, with thick winter smog pushing the average air quality index to 338 on Thursday and several neighbourhoods recording readings far into the hazardous range.
Figures published on Thursday morning put the Punjab capital at the top of the global pollution rankings compiled by the Swiss monitoring group IQAir, ahead of India's Delhi, which recorded an average reading of 271. Live IQAir data put Lahore's average at 355 between 8am and 9am, while other outlets reported the citywide average at 338, based on readings from the Punjab Environment Department.
The worst-affected neighbourhoods told a far grimmer story than the city average. Paragon Society recorded an air quality index of 548, the area around FC College reached 508 and Model Town stood at 414, according to the Environment Department. IQAir's own station network showed Burki Road Paragon B at 575, the CERP office at 539 and Allama Iqbal Town at 529. Separate readings put Multan Road and Safari Park above 500, with Kahna at 498 and DHA Phase-6 at 428.
IQAir classified Lahore's air as hazardous and said emergency health alerts were in effect, warning that everyone in the city faced an increased risk of serious health effects. An air quality index above 300 is classed as hazardous, while a reading of up to 50 is generally considered good. Lahore's readings on Thursday were roughly seven times that safe threshold.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department said there was no chance of rain in the city during the next 24 hours, removing the one natural event that usually washes the smog out of the air. Without wind or rain, the haze is expected to linger, and readings could climb further as the day goes on.
Thursday's ranking is the latest in a run of grim readings this week. On Wednesday, the city's average air quality index reached 362, with Iqbal Town recording 722, Burki Road 455 and Model Town 362. A day earlier, the overall reading passed 400, with Paragon recording 728 and Allama Iqbal Town 615. On Tuesday, IQAir put Lahore's index at 447, with fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, measured at 60 times the World Health Organization's annual exposure guideline.
The return of the smog is a familiar seasonal pattern for Lahore and the wider Punjab region. Every winter, a combination of crop residue burning in fields on both sides of the border, vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and construction dust builds up under calm, cool air that traps pollutants close to the ground. This year the season has arrived as the Hindu festival of Diwali, which falls on 8 November, approaches, and firework smoke from celebrations across the region could add to the haze in the coming days.
Health experts warn that prolonged exposure to air this polluted irritates the eyes, nose and throat, worsens asthma and other breathing conditions, and strains the heart, with children, older people and those with existing lung or heart disease most at risk. Doctors advise people in Lahore to limit time outdoors, avoid strenuous exercise outside, keep windows closed where possible and wear a well-fitted mask when they must go out.
Lahore was not alone in struggling on Thursday. Karachi stood fourth in the global ranking with a reading of 189, Kolkata third at 208 and Dhaka fifth at 174, underlining how the smog season is settling across the whole of South Asia rather than striking a single city.
Whether the episode eases in the coming days will depend largely on the weather. A spell of wind or rain would clear the air quickly, but with the Met Office forecasting dry conditions, the city may have to wait for a change in wind direction. Previous smog episodes have brought school closures and restrictions on construction and polluting vehicles; whether similar steps follow this week will depend on how readings develop over the next few days.
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