LAHORE: Lahore again topped the list of the most polluted cities of the world on Thursday with hazardous air quality levels.

The city’s air quality index was 443 at 10am that put it in the hazardous category with regard to PM2.5 (particulate matter) level. At the time of filing of this report at 10:25pm, Lahore was still at the top of the list of world’s most populated city with air quality index of 270 (very unhealthy), followed by Hanoi (Vietnam) whose index was 209.

On the other hand, the district administration demolished two more pyrolysis plants on Thursday as it continued its operation against such plants in an effort to control smog.

The number of such demolished plants has now reached 20.

The city district teams raided the plants and demolished them for different violations, including unsealing the plant without permission, erecting different structures without approving maps from the authorities and causing pollution.

The plants were extracting furnace and crude oil from wires and used tyres to sell it in at a low rate. The demolished plants included Mohsin and Iqbal plants in Shalimar tehsil.

Earlier, DC Umar Sher Chattha visited three development schemes where he was briefed about various projects.

Meanwhile, on the direction of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, ‘Diwar-e-Ehsaas’ has been set up in Multan after Ehsaas Bazaar. DC Amir Kareem inaugurated the ‘Diwar-i-Ehsaas’ and distributed clothes among the needy.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2021