LAHORE: Lahore continues to suffer from high levels of air pollution, with the city regularly ranking at the top of IQAir AirVisual’s live pollution rankings of major global cities,” states the website of IQAir, a US-based organization that has evolved into a global leader in air quality management innovation.

In the second week of July, during the monsoon rains, at 9am on July 8, 2025, as per IQ Air, Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore was recorded at 63 where PM2.5 concentration was 3.1 times the WHO recommended limit. It was 192 (unhealthy) on Saturday while on Sunday, the index was 153 (unhealthy for sensitive groups).

Rana Tauqeer Ahmed, who is an expert in road safety, cautions that the government has been unable to address the root causes of this problem.

Quoting from the Urban Unit report “Air Pollution Inventory Emission Inventory of Punjab”, Tauqeer adds that two-wheelers’ contribution to PM2.5 emissions is almost negligible. Two-wheelers may be high in numbers but they surely are not responsible for air pollution.

“All the hue and cry, along with media frenzy, have barely addressed the issue while this deterioration of air quality continues to wreak havoc on human life.”

He shares that the government of Punjab has allocated a sum of Rs795 billion for Climate Resilient Punjab in the provincial budget of 2025-26 but data-oriented and evidence-based objectivity and clarity are missing in the allocation of these resources.

“The Punjab government subsidised thousands of electric two-wheelers last year. PM2.5 concentration, which is 3.1 times the WHO limits and that too in a rainy season, is a glaring contrast to the stated objectives of the scheme,” says Tauqeer.

“Unless the government mends its ways and for once follows a data-oriented and evidence-based approach, the people of Lahore will continue to suffer,” he warns.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025