LAHORE (Dunya News) - Lahore has once again topped the list of most polluted major cities of the world, while India capital New Delhi remained second and Karachi ranked third, according to the global air quality monitoring organization IQAir.
Lahore's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 320 in the wee hours of Saturday, New Delhi was second with an AQI of 229 and Karachi remained third in the list with an AQI of 225.
Various other cities of Pakistan experiencing "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" levels of air quality. Faisalabad recorded an AQI of 539, and Gujranwala recorded an AQI of 233.
Vehicular emissions, industrial operations, crop residue burning, and transboundary smog from neighboring regions like India contribute significantly to the poor air quality in Pakistan.
As per the details, Lahore and Faisalabad suffer mainly from heavy traffic and factory outputs, Karachi from port activities and urban congestion, Islamabad and Rawalpindi from construction dust and vehicles, while Multan faces agricultural burning and cross-border pollutants intensifying the crisis.
It is pertinent to mention here that every year, 7 million people die from air pollution, and billions suffer unnecessarily from the effects of poor air quality.