Lahore Faces Toxic Air Crisis Amid Rising Smog Levels

Lahore's air quality has hit hazardous levels, with the AQI recently topping 300. Despite efforts to curb pollution, dense smog continues to blanket the city, posing health risks. Emissions, crop burning, and stagnant weather exacerbate the situation, necessitating urgent measures to combat the worsening air quality crisis.

Lahore is grappling with a severe air quality crisis as the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) has soared past the hazardous benchmark of 300. According to The News International, this marks the first time in about three weeks that pollution levels have returned to such dangerous levels, underscoring the persistent struggle against smog.

On Tuesday, IQAir rated Lahore as the second-most polluted city worldwide, with an alarming AQI value of 532. The dense smog, exacerbated by emissions and crop burning, has enveloped the city throughout the winter season, maintaining extremely high levels of airborne toxins, as reported by The News International.

The unyielding smog situation has plagued Lahore for over two months, giving it the worst air quality in the region. The smog springs from a mix of vehicle and industrial emissions from low-grade fuel, compounded by seasonal agricultural burning. These pollutants, trapped by cool temperatures and stagnant winds, continue to loom over the city, affecting its 14 million residents despite extraordinary measures aimed at mitigating this crisis.

This environmental emergency strikes the province annually with increasing severity due to cold air containing dust, poor diesel fuel emissions, and unlawful crop burning. The resultant smog poses dire health threats to Lahore's population, emphasizing the urgent need for effective solutions to address this deepening air pollution dilemma.

(With inputs from agencies.)