Lahore once again tops global air pollution chart
Pakistan
Air quality in city was recorded at 261 around 7:30pm, and at 294 a couple of hours earlier
(Web Desk) – Lahore, home to more than 11 million people, has once again topped the daily rankings of the most polluted cities in the world, with air pollution reaching very unhealthy levels.
According to Switzerland’s IQAir, the air quality in Pakistan’s second largest city was recorded at 261 around 7:30 pm, making it the most polluted city in the world on Sunday. Just a couple of hours earlier, it stood at 294.
IQAir reported the PM2.5 concentration in Lahore to be around 163, which is 42.2 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value, placing the Punjab capital in the ‘unhealthy’ category of air quality.
The World Health Organization recommends a maximum PM2.5 concentration of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5.
Due to its unhealthy air quality, Lahore city has consistently ranked among the top three cities with the most polluted air in recent months.
A “smog emergency” had been announced by the Punjab caretaker government in November last year after the Lahore High Court reprimanded the Lahore commissioner for neglecting the critical issue of the environment.
Despite Pakistan being responsible for less than one percent of global carbon emissions, it ranks among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.
