LAHORE: Polluted winds from India continue to enter the Punjab province of Pakistan, pushing cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala into the world’s most polluted rankings.
According to air quality data, Lahore once again topped the global pollution index with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 312, while India’s New Delhi ranked second at 239.
Other Punjab cities also recorded alarming readings — Faisalabad (540), Gujranwala (371), Multan (364), and Bahawalpur (250) — placing them in the hazardous to very unhealthy category.
Environmental officials said slow northeastern winds, traveling from Indian Punjab and Haryana, have carried smoke particles from crop residue burning across the border into Pakistan. The low wind speed — between 4 and 9 km/h — has prevented pollutants such as PM 2.5 and PM 10 from dispersing, trapping toxic air close to the ground.
Hospitals in Lahore have reported a rise in respiratory illness cases, while experts have urged citizens to wear masks and limit outdoor activity, especially in the early morning and late evening when smog concentration peaks.
The Punjab government, under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has intensified its anti-smog operations across Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, and Gujranwala, activating special anti-smog squads and tightening surveillance of industrial zones and brick kilns. Heavy fines and immediate penalties are being imposed on violators.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also ramped up monitoring using modern equipment and cross-border air data analysis. The provincial agriculture department has been instructed to expand eco-friendly alternatives to stubble burning, including the use of super seeders and other green machinery.
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb appealed to the public for cooperation, urging citizens to avoid unnecessary outdoor movement after 8 p.m., keep children and the elderly indoors, and refrain from late-night dining at restaurants. She said outdoor activities in schools have been suspended, and school timings revised — classes will now begin at 8:45 a.m.
