LAHORE: After a week-long respite, Lahore on Tuesday got a familiar yet alarming sight of smog enveloping it which reduced visibility and posed a severe health risks to millions of its residents.
According to the data from the IQAir, an air quality monitoring platform, Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to a staggering ‘hazardous’ level of 567 in the early hours of the day, once again ranking it as one of the most polluted cities in the world.
The AQI of other stations in Lahore at 8pm was CERP Office 435, Forest Department, Ravi Road, 428, Powerzone head office 377, Model Town 358, Syed Maratib Ali Road 336, Fauji Fertilizer Pakistan 332 and AC Office Shalimar Complex Wahga 296.
Smog, a noxious mix of vehicle emissions, industrial pollutants and seasonal crop burning, has cast a pall over the city, turning the morning sun into a faint, orange disc.
Health officials have issued urgent advisories, urging the citizens, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions, to remain indoors and wear high-grade N95 or KN95 masks if venturing outside is unavoidable.
Earlier, Punjab Police continued operations to control air pollution. As a part of the anti-smog campaign during the last 24 hours, 26 cases were registered and lawbreakers were arrested in various districts, including Lahore.
Providing details, a police spokesperson said that during the operations, fines amounting to more than Rs1,055,000 were imposed on 464 individuals while warnings were issued to 87 others. Violations included 52 cases of crop residue burning, 145 cases of smoke-emitting vehicles, five cases of industrial activities and 12 violations by brick kilns.
Punjab Police spokesperson further shared that during the current year, as a result of the smog crackdown conducted in various districts including Lahore, a total of 2,388 cases have been registered and 2,106 lawbreakers arrested.
During this period, fines amounting to over Rs. 230.8 million were imposed on 88,981 individuals, while warnings were issued to 12,966 others. Reported violations included 1,373 cases of crop residue burning, 53,420 cases involving smoke-emitting vehicles, 1,396 cases related to industrial activities, and 2,089 violations by brick kilns.
Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar directed the officers concerned to further intensify the anti-smog crackdown on highways, industrial areas, agricultural lands, and other locations. He emphasized that immediate and strict action should be taken under the zero-tolerance policy against all those found violating smog standard operating procedures.
Meanwhile, IQAir reported that air quality in Pakistan remained very poor, with major cities experiencing unhealthy to hazardous levels and dangerously high PM2.5 concentrations, posing serious health risks to residents, especially children and the elderly.
Several urban centres on Tuesday morning recorded AQI readings above 300, prompting health warnings. Residents are advised to limit outdoor activities, keep windows closed, wear masks when outside and use air purifiers indoors.
While conditions remain poor, Pakistan’s average PM2.5 concentration in 2024 was 73.7 µg/m3, equivalent to an AQI of 160, classified as ‘unhealthy’. This level is nearly 15 times higher than the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m3, making Pakistan the world’s third most polluted country in 2024.
As of Nov 11, the cities in Pakistan affected by poor air quality include Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi and Sukkur.
Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2025
