Come winter, Delhi is considered the most polluted city in the world. But here comes another city that is six times worse than Delhi. Yes, we are talking about Lahore, one of the cities in Pakistan whose Air Quality Index stood at 1,900 on Sunday, prompting the country to write a letter to the Indian government to open a dialogue on the issue.
Notably, the AQI in the city of 14 million people stood at least six times more than the limit defined by the World Health Organisation. The Pakistan government imposed emergency measures like closing schools and issuing work-from-home mandates.
It should be noted that the level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants — fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — peaked at 610 — more than 40 times the limit of 15 in a 24-hour period considered healthy by the WHO.
In Lahore, the city residents have been asked to stay indoors, keep doors and windows shut, and avoid unnecessary travel, and the smog counters have been set up at hospitals, Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb said.
Because of the pollution, the Pakistan government imposed a ban on three-wheelers known as rickshaws and halted construction in certain areas to reduce the pollution levels.
The measures were taken to protect children from respiratory-related and other diseases in the city of 14 million people.
Toxic gray smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mainly children and elderly people, since last month when the air quality started worsening in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province bordering India.
The government has also banned construction work in certain areas and fined owners of smoke-emitting vehicles. Schools will remain closed for a week because of the pollution, according to a government notification.
Lahore was once known as a city of gardens, which were ubiquitous during the Mughal era from the 16th to 19th centuries. But rapid urbanization and surging population growth have left little room for greenery.
