According to the data of a private technology company, Lahore city of Pakistan was the most polluted city in the world on Monday.
This is the second time in a week where smog levels have reached dangerous levels far beyond World Health Organisation’s norms.
Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, does not have its own air quality index. However, the provincial government says it is actively implementing the smog emergency plan, especially in Lahore.
According to a company called IQAir, Lahore’s air quality index (AQI) reached the dangerous level of 312. The concentration of PM 2.5, the most harmful particle in the city’s air, reached 190.5 micrograms per cubic metre.
“This level is 25 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) annual air quality guidelines,” IQAir said in a statement. Lahore’s ‘real-time station ranking’ is presenting an even more frightening picture. Pollution levels in many areas of the city have crossed ‘dangerous’ levels.
The statement said Lahore topped the global list of major cities in terms of air pollution at 10 pm on Monday, leaving behind other places like Delhi (AQI 220) and Kolkata (AQI 170).
The concentration of PM 2.5 in Lahore’s air is several times higher than the global permissible limit of five per cubic metre, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as other serious health problems, especially for children and the elderly.