Lahore Smog Ranks City as World’s Most Polluted

Lahore, the heart of Punjab, is struggling with the worst air quality worldwide, as new data from IQAir shows. The latest stats reveal that Lahore has crossed the 400 mark on the US Air Quality Index (AQI), classifying it as “hazardous” and raising alarms about the Lahore smog situation. With air quality this bad, it’s like breathing in poison, as environmentalist Yasir Husain explained. He shared that healthy air levels should be under 50 AQI, meaning Lahore’s air is almost 80 times more polluted than the safe limit.

The seasonal change is making things worse. As winter kicks in, the wind shifts from Pakistan towards India, and the city is surrounded by smog made from agricultural burning, vehicle fumes, and industrial smoke. The slow-moving winter air keeps these pollutants hanging around, blending with fog to create deadly Lahore smog.

The AQI gives a clearer picture: 0-50 is “good,” 51-100 is “moderate,” 101-150 affects sensitive groups, 151-200 is “unhealthy,” 201-300 is “very unhealthy,” and anything above 301 is “hazardous.” Right now, Lahore is miles ahead of even New Delhi, where the AQI is 285, and Dubai at 166. Karachi is also on the list, ranked 13th, with an AQI of 107, putting those sensitive to dust at risk.

Environment activist Ahmad Rafay Alam noted that people underestimate the seriousness of Lahore smog, assuming it’s just a seasonal thing. But it’s a year-round problem affecting the whole region. Even though policies were made in 2017, 2023, and 2024 to control smog, serious actions are still lacking, Alam added.

Despite the government’s efforts like smog squads and brick kiln conversions, the air quality remains a huge challenge. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb mentioned possible artificial rain if the situation worsens. But the fact remains: Lahore’s fight against smog is far from over.