Environmental experts, researchers and residents have urged the Punjab government to publish true air pollution readings after its official dashboard was found to display a maximum Air Quality Index (AQI) of 500, even when actual levels go higher. The government says the cap does not mean any data is being hidden.
The dashboard, run by the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), measures AQI on a scale of zero to 500, divided into seven categories from good to hazardous. When pollution crosses 500, the screen continues to show 500, so residents cannot tell whether the air in their area is at 600, 700 or worse.
Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said several countries, including the United States, set 500 as the upper limit of the index. She said the government has no intention of concealing data and that any reading above 500 is regarded as hazardous.
The US Environmental Protection Agency describes 500 as the top of the standard AQI scale rather than the highest possible level of pollution, and recommends a “Beyond the AQI” method for reporting higher readings.
Maryam Shah, an expert with the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI), said a capped reading does not by itself indicate concealment, since 500 already signals extremely dangerous air in which people should avoid all outdoor activity.
She added, however, that countries calculate AQI differently depending on the main pollutant in an area, and that in Pakistan and the rest of South Asia the actual PM2.5 concentration is a more effective measure of severity. She said PM2.5 readings should also be available on official portals.
Environmental lawyer Altamash Saeed described the public release of real-time data from the monitoring network of the government as a positive step, but said a single index cannot show the full state of the air. He said the public should also have access to actual concentrations of individual pollutants and how they vary between areas.
The cap also limits research. Noshin Fatima, a Punjab University student, said a figure fixed at 500 prevents any meaningful comparison of pollution levels across different areas.
Some residents doubt the government’s reasons for the limit. Abdul Rehman of Gulberg said it could make air quality appear better than it is, and alleged that real readings are not being shown in order to highlight the government’s efforts to reduce pollution.
WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqvi said every citizen has a basic right to accurate air quality information in order to protect their own health and their family. He said that if the data is being capped at 500, the practice should end.
Yesterday, Delhi overtook Lahore as the most polluted major city in world, with an AQI of 334, classified as hazardous by IQAir. The pollution board recorded an even higher reading of 403. By 11am PKT, AQI of Delhi had improved to 208, while Lahore ranked seventh globally at 155.
A Pakistan Air Quality Initiative report found that the average PM2.5 concentration in Lahore was 126 micrograms per cubic metre, eight times the WHO guideline.
Pollution exceeded national standards on all 40 days with valid data. Satellite monitoring detected 18,825 fires across Punjab, Pakistan, with 89 per cent linked to likely crop-residue burning.
