Poor air quality keeps Lahore as most polluted city of World

LAHORE: Bed air keeps Lahore on the top of the air quality index as most polluted city of the world with AQI reading 310 on Sunday, ARY News reported.

Indian capital city New Delhi ranked second and Accra, the capital city of Ghana, third most polluted city on the AQI.

Lahore has also been ranked first in Pakistan on the air quality index, while Multan listed second, Peshawar third, Rawalpindi 4th and Karachi ranked 5th with regard to the air pollution.

Air pollution and smog haunted Punjab with the onset of winter. Authorities made desperate efforts to contain smog in cities. The province grappling with severe air pollution, which have soared to alarming levels, causing serious public health issues.

For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning as temperatures drop with cooling air.

Air pollution level in Lahore once soared to more than 80 times of the level deemed hygienic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The government closed schools and restricted timing of eateries, other businesses and markets to save general public from the adverse impact of toxic pollution and health problems.