Peshawar air quality reaches ‘hazardous’ levels as AQI reaches 509

The smog-laden air that has blanketted the cities in Punjab has now floated towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and engulfed Peshawar and surrounding districts. 

Peshawar’s air quality index has reached a hazardous level of 509, placing it among the world’s most polluted cities.

In Lahore, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has accelerated efforts to wash trees and plants along green belts and roadsides to reduce pollution.

Daily tree-washing operations are underway on Mall Road, Jail Road, and Ferozepur Road, with similar activities in Gulberg, Model Town, and other main avenues.

According to PHA Director General Muhammad Tahir Wattoo, the team is working from morning to night, and tree plantation is being prioritized as a necessary measure to combat smog and pollution.

Read more: Lahore smog crisis: Report identifies key contributing factors

A recent report from the Green Master Plan has shed light on the alarming rise of Lahore smog, highlighting six main causes contributing to the increase in smog and air pollution in the city.

According to the report, the city’s rapid development has transformed Lahore into a concrete jungle, exacerbating the Lahore smog issue. Reduced green spaces have led to a rise in temperatures, turning the city into a ‘heat island.’

The report reveals that 33 square kilometers (kms) of industrial zones are situated near residential areas, significantly contributing to Lahore’s smog problem. It warns that if dispersed industries are not relocated to designated industrial areas within the next decade, irreversible damage may occur.