Lahore witnesses record pollution levels, inhabitants advised to refrain from non-essential travel.

Record breaking air pollution levels in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest metropolis have compelled authorities to enact urgent countermeasures on Sunday, including the implementation of remote work directives and temporary closure of primary schools. On Sunday, Lahore clinched the top spot as the world’s most polluted city, following its unprecedented pollution index reading of 1900 close to the Indo-Pak border on Saturday, as reported by provincial government data & the Swiss Air Quality Monitoring Group, IQAir. For days, the sprawling metropolis of 14 million inhabitants has been engulfed in a dense haze- a toxic amalgam of fog and pollutants stemming from combustion of substandard diesel, residual smoke from seasonal agricultural burnoff, and the temperature inversions experienced in the winter season.

The government has mandated a week-long closure of primary closure of primary schools, directing parents to ensure that their children don masks, Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyun Aurangzeb announced during a press briefing as a dense layer of smog smothered Lahore.She advised the citizens to stay indoors, secure their doors and windows and abstain from non-essential travel. Additionally, Aurangzeb clarified that hospitals have been well equipped with smog monitoring devices . Added to this to deal with vehicular pollution, the government has declared that 50% of office personnel operate remotely.

The government has further imposed a prohibition on three- wheeled vehicles , commonly referred to as rickshaws & suspended construction activities within targetted areas to curb pollution levels. Aurangzeb also clarified that factories and construction sites failing to adhere to these stringent mandates may face enforced shutdowns. Aurangzeb described the situation as unexpected and unanticipated referring to the severe decline in air quality to prevailing winds carrying pollutants from the surrounding areas.

Aurangzeb asserted that , the situation is insurmountable without diplomatic engagement with India , nothing that the provincial administration intends to initiate dialogue with its larger neighbour via Pakistan’s external ministry channels. She further observed that Lahore’s escalating smog crisis mirroring conditions in the Indian capital, is exacerbated during the colder months due to temperature inversions trapping pollutants closer to the surface.

Inhaling the polluted air yields severe health ramifications, as prolong exposure can cause strokes, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer and an array of complex respiratory complications as per the World Health Organisation. On Saturday, the concentration of hazardous PM2.5 particles – ultrafine particulates responsible for the most deteriorous health impacts soared to over 40 times the WHO’s prescribed threshold.By Sunday morning, PM2.5 levels exceeded even this alarming measure before moderating slightly.

Air pollution levels surpassing the safe threshold level prescribed by WHO has been shown to reduce life expectancy by a staggering 7.5 years, as reported by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago.Furthermore, according to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children across South Asia endure dangerously elevated levels of air pollution