Lahore Air Quality Remains Worst Globally as AQI Stays Hazardous

Lahore air quality remained the most polluted in the world on Wednesday, as global tracker IQAir once again placed the city at the top of the rankings for hazardous pollution levels.

Lahore air quality reached a severe Air Quality Index peak of 422 a day earlier but showed only slight improvement to 341, a level that still falls within the hazardous category. The high reading kept the city ahead of New Delhi at 232, Beijing at 222, Kinshasa and Kathmandu at 155 each, while Karachi recorded 140.

In response to the worsening Lahore air quality, the Punjab government issued a high alert across the province and revised school timings to begin at 8:35am. Authorities said the move aims to limit exposure during the most toxic morning hours.

To combat rising smog, the Lahore Waste Management Company launched an extensive cleanup operation. The initiative includes 16 mechanical washers, 50 standard washers, and 400 workers dedicated to road washing and water sprinkling in key urban areas.

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for leading aggressive anti smog measures, stating that her efforts reflect the administration’s long term environmental goals. She added that Punjab could see improvements similar to Beijing in the coming years.

The minister said the steps taken so far have influenced farmers to adopt better practices, reducing activities that contribute to smog. Citing a report from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), she noted that this year’s environmental violations score stood at 294.

She confirmed that action is being taken against industrial plants found responsible for severe pollution, reinforcing that the campaign against environmental violations will continue.