India’s Diwali smog pushes Lahore to world’s second most-polluted city

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Smog and deteriorating air quality continue to plague Lahore, with Diwali fireworks making the metropolis the world’s second most polluted city with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 266 “extremely unhealthy”, with only the Indian capital New Delhi ranking as “unhealthy” at 535.

The PM2.5 concentration – measuring particulate matter floating in the air 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less that can be absorbed into the bloodstream after inhalation – stood at 187 µg/m³, 37.4 times the World Health Organization’s annual PM2.5 value.

Toxic smog has begun shrouding parts of Punjab, while the rise in pollution has prompted authorities to curb activities, introduce various modern countermeasures and set up a panel to monitor precautionary efforts.

Lahore, the capital of the most populous Punjab province, is only 25 kilometers (16 mi) from the Indian border, and is considered the country’s cultural capital. Experts have predicted that the average AQI of Lahore may be between 210 and 240 tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Karachi also made it to the list as the sixth most polluted city with an AQI of 164 “unhealthy”.

Worsening air quality is expected to increase smog and smog across the city, with additional pollution from fireworks in various Indian cities during Diwali celebrations.

Efforts to improve air quality in Lahore are largely limited. The Punjab government continues to implement fragmented measures, including a joint operation by the Lahore Development Authority and WASA to sprinkle water across the city.

Many parts of South Asia suffer from pollution every winter as cold air traps pollutants, such as emissions, dust and smoke from burning rice fields to clear rice crop residues before wheat is planted.

‘Grand Operations’

Meanwhile, Punjab’s first modern Smog Monitoring and Control Centre, equipped with modern technology, is continuously collecting air quality data. Anti-smog guns are also being deployed at identified smog hotspots across Lahore to reduce partial pollution.

Senior Punjab Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said on Sunday that nine departments of the Punjab government are taking strong action against smog as per the instructions of the Punjab Chief Minister.

“Continued efforts of the Punjab government and public cooperation helped to control the air quality index of the city.”

He said that the Environmental Protection Force and the Department were fully mobilized and all sectoral squads were present in the sector, and apart from issuing live reports, the brick pens were being monitored through drones.

The senior minister said that smog guns and air quality monitors were also in place in the sector, while for the first time in the history of Punjab, forecasting the air quality index enabled timely actions with the government’s approach to control pollution levels.

“Modern technology, anti-SMOG machinery, timely data provision and inter-agency coordination had maintained the air quality at a controllable level,” he added.

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif congratulated all officers and staff for their efforts. The minister said that at the center of modern climate data were pre-identified areas with high pollution levels for targeted action.

He added that construction materials in open areas were immediately covered to prevent dust emission.

The traffic police has banned the movement of trucks, goods vehicles and trolleys to control vehicular pollution, he said and added that traffic monitoring through safe city cameras is ongoing, to ensure smooth flow.

Merriam said that WASA, LDA, PHA, C&W and local administration started the water sprinkling operations last night.