Lahore Ranked World’s Third Most Polluted City as Punjab Widens Anti-Smog Operation and AQI Averages 200
LAHORE: The smog is back over Punjab, and this time Lahore has climbed to third place among the world’s most polluted cities, recording an average Air Quality Index of 200. Parts of the city fared worse still — Johar Town touched 245 and the area around FC College reached 267. The provincial government has answered with a wider anti-smog operation, and over the past 24 hours inspection teams have moved against factories, brick kilns and other sources of pollution across Punjab.
Factories and kilns in the firing line
Officials said 246 industrial units were inspected across the province: four were served notices and 17 received specific smog notices, one unit was demolished, six were sealed and fines of Rs1.015 million were imposed. Of 374 brick kilns checked, two were demolished and five sealed, a case was registered against one owner and fines came to Rs500,000. Teams also inspected 179 locations over substandard plastic, confiscating 1,602 kilograms of material, while checks on barbecue and commercial cooking sites led to suction hoods being installed at 54 premises.
Water on the roads, trees in the ground
To keep dust down, water was sprinkled over 1,560 kilometres of roads. Burning solid waste, tyres, rubber and plastic drew 485 notices, and a further 859 notices were issued over encroachments. In the same 24 hours, 28 actions were taken against illegal tree felling and 917 new trees were planted across the province. Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb urged citizens, farmers and factory owners to play their part, warning that action against violators will continue.
No rain coming, so caution is the advice
The Met Office offers little comfort: no rain is expected in Lahore today, the maximum temperature is forecast at 31°C and the wind is barely moving at two kilometres an hour, leaving pollutants nowhere to go. A day earlier the city’s AQI was already hovering around 199, a sign this is a building pattern rather than a single bad day. Health experts repeat the familiar advice — children and older people should limit time outdoors, and anyone who must go out should wear a mask.
