LAHORE:Once again the provincial metropolis came on top of the world’s top ten most polluted cities as the average AQI reached 205 while at random places it crossed 450 here on Wednesday.
Data collected from IQAir revealed that the prevailing AQI was very unhealthy as the PM2.5 concentration was 25.9 times the World Health Organisation (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline value.
The most polluted city areas included different phases of DHA, Civil Secretariat, Bedian Road, Allama Iqbal Town, different areas of Cantonment, Barki Road, Johar Town and Askari 10.MET officials said continental air was prevailing over most parts of the country while a shallow westerly wave was likely to approach western/upper parts today (evening/night). They predicted that cloudy weather conditions were expected in upper Punjab, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan while very cold weather in upper hilly areas during morning/night. Cold and dry weather was likely to persist over other parts of the country. Smog (fog in patches during morning/night) was likely to persist over plain areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, Punjab has intensified its environmental enforcement operations with a sharp surge in demolitions, FIRs, inspections, anti-smog interventions and rapid-response actions across the province. According to data collected from the Environment Protection Department (EPD), the department has carried out a large-scale crackdown on polluting units from March 2024 to date.
EPD DG Imran Hamid Sheikh claimed a “zero-tolerance approach” against industrial, vehicular and agricultural emissions. He said between 1 March 2024 and the latest reporting period, enforcement teams demolished 2,575 illegal polluting units across Punjab. During the same period, 4,002 FIRs were registered against violators, including brick kilns, industrial units and commercial setups operating without mandatory environmental safeguards. Officials said these numbers reflect one of the largest anti-pollution crackdowns conducted in the province so far. To reduce airborne pollutants and smog intensity, anti-smog guns deployed across Lahore have covered nearly 55,000 kilometres of road network. These mobile units continue round-the-clock mist sprinkling, especially along major highways and heavily congested corridors. EPD DG confirmed that operations were being expanded due to deteriorating winter air quality. Under the stubble-burning enforcement measures, Punjab’s Quick Response Unit (QRU)—equipped with high-capacity fire bowzers—has successfully extinguished fires spread across hundreds of acres. Satellite-based alerts helped teams reach remote areas quickly. The department has also taken strict action against farmers found responsible for burning crop residue in violation of environmental regulations.
