LAHORE: Lahore has climbed to sixth place among the world’s most polluted cities, with its average air quality index touching 201 under a clear, sunny sky.
A reading above 200 falls in the “very unhealthy” band. Within Pakistan, the city stood fourth on the day’s pollution table.
The city-wide average hides sharper numbers on the ground. Monitors near the University of Lahore recorded 254, the CRP office 251 and Shahdara 250. Allama Iqbal Town stood at 228, Burki Road and Paragon at 219, ARC at 194 and Air Watch Pakistan at 186.
That is a gap of 68 points between the cleanest and dirtiest stations, enough to move a neighbourhood from one health category into the next.
The weather offers little help. The Met Office puts the chance of rain at 20 per cent and expects a dry day with a high of 33°C and a low of 23°C. The temperature was 27°C at the time of the reading.
Winds of five to six kilometres an hour, rising to 10 at most, are too weak to scatter the haze. Humidity readings ranged between 28 and 75 per cent.
This is the second spike in little more than two weeks. On September 23, Lahore topped the global list with an AQI of 207, well before the usual November peak.
Punjab has answered with enforcement. Thermal drones are tracking smog sources across the province, and Safe City cameras flagged 1,327 smog violations in three days last month.
Experts have advised residents to take precautions and avoid unnecessary time outdoors while readings stay high.
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