Lahore now the world’s most polluted city, surpassing Delhi

The Indian capital New Delhi recently emerged as the city with the most polluted air. However, a few days later, on Friday (October 24), Pakistan's Lahore, which was in second place, was declared the world's most polluted city.

The entire metropolis is covered in a dangerous blanket of smog, Dawn reported. In such a situation, the authorities have issued a serious public health alert. The crisis has been measured through alarming data. The overall air quality index (AQI) of the city is 362, which has reached the "hazardous" level.

The maximum AQI of 690 was recorded in the Shalimar area of ​​the region, followed by Shadman 611 and Syed Maratib Ali Road 609, respectively. Air pollution levels have also come down to "emergency limits" in other areas including Iqbal Town, Lower Mall and Civil Secretariat. This has created a health risk for the residents.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that a thick layer of smog is likely to persist in eastern Punjab. It is likely to increase further in the coming days. Industrial pollution and vehicle emissions have been clearly identified as the primary causes of the smog. The Meteorological Department also said that children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions are at the highest risk of respiratory illnesses.

In response to the growing crisis, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “The government is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to deal with the environmental emergency. For the first time in the history of Punjab, a ban has been imposed on the use of plastic bags.” Stressing the need for public cooperation in combating the smog, the minister said, “Air pollution cannot be controlled without public cooperation.”