LAHORE: The festive spirit of Christmas in Lahore was marred by a thick blanket of smog enveloping the city where air pollution levels soared to dangerous levels.

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), Lahore again became the most polluted city in the world on Monday, recording an alarming AQI of 389 at 12 noon.

The air pollution in Lahore has escalated to a level that is dangerously harmful to health, causing concern among the city residents as well as environmentalists.

An AQI above 301 is considered dangerous, and Lahore’s current level far exceeds this threshold.

The AQI in different areas of the city was even higher than the average. The worst affected areas were Zacky Farms with 497, Phase-8 Ivy Green 492, Fida Hussain House 484, DHA Phase-8 429, NETSOL LHR OD 413, Pakistan Engineering Services (Pvt) Ltd 410, WWF-Pakistan 311, Polo Ground Cantt 280, FAST University 265 and CERP Office 244.

The causes of the smog are complex and multifaceted, involving both natural and human factors. Some of the natural factors include low wind speed, high humidity, and temperature inversion, which trap the pollutants near the ground. The human factors include vehicle emissions, industrial activities, crop residues burning, brick kilns smoke, and garbage burning, which contribute to the high levels of 2.5 PM in the air.

The experts say the government was not doing anything to tackle the root causes of the pollution and was also not implementing long-term solutions, including shifting to renewable energy sources, improving public transportation, and promoting green spaces.

Meanwhile, Karachi is also not far behind, ranking eighth on the list of the world’s most polluted cities, with an AQI of 171.

An index of 151-200 is deemed harmful, and 201-300 is extremely harmful, indicating that Karachi’s air quality is also a significant health risk.

In an attempt to curb the escalating smog and air pollution, the Punjab government had previously collaborated with the UAE government to experiment with artificial rain. However, the persistently high pollution levels indicate that more substantial and long-term measures are needed.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2023