Lahore ranks 4th in world's most polluted big cities

LAHORE: Lahore’s air quality has considerably improved as the city ranked fourth on the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the most polluted cities of the world, ARY News reported on Monday.

Shrine city of Multan has been the most polluted city of Pakistan with 265 AQI reading. Lahore ranked 2nd most polluted city in the country with 249 reading on the air pollution measuring scale.

Peshawar placed 3rd, Rawalpindi 4th and Karachi 5th with regard to the level of air pollution.

Punjab’s capital city passed through dangerously high air quality index (AQI) reading of 1067 in early days of November.

Lahore remained on the top of the hazardous air quality list in the world.

Smog in the city causing serious health problems for residents toiling in polluted air and reported to have breathing difficulties, coughing and burning eyes.

Air pollution levels soar in the city on the onset of winter, with change in the wind speed, wind direction and sliding minimum temperature.

Air pollution in Lahore soared as high as more than 80 times of the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an official calling it record high.

The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — peaked at 1,067.

Smog is particularly pronounced in winter, when cold, denser air traps emissions from poor-quality fuels used to power the city’s vehicles and factories at ground level.

AQI as high as 151-200 is considered unhealthy, while an AQI rating between 201 to 300 is more harmful and AQI over 300 has been extremely hazardous.