Karachi ranked fourth while Lahore ranked second most polluted city in the list of the world’s most polluted cities. The Air Quality Index in Karachi reached 207 making it the fourth most polluted city in the world.
New Delhi, Lahore, and Cairo are above Karachi on the list. Lahore was ranked as the second-most polluted city in terms of air quality on the Swiss group’s live rankings, with an air quality index of 404.
Karachi’s 60% to 70% air pollution has been attributed to the emissions from vehicles and lack of public transport.
Yasir Hussain, head of the Climate Action Centre, asserted that motorcycles are the biggest source of air pollution in the city. He further revealed that motorcycles alone consumed $15 billion worth of petrol over the past five years, accounting for 69% of pollution caused by fuel consumption. Air pollution on average decreases the life expectancy by four years, claims the health experts.
Intense smog took over Lahore city in late October. Temporary measures like ‘Green lockdown’ were imposed but proved insufficient. At the start of November, air quality in Lahore reached 382 as thick smog continued to shroud the Punjab capital despite measures to curb pollution.
According to data from IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring organization, Lahore’s AQI soared to an “unprecedented” 1,194, far surpassing the “dangerous” threshold of 300. The concentration of PM2.5 pollutants—fine particulate matter that poses significant health risks—was measured at 266 around 9:30 a.m., which is 53.2 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) acceptable level.
Read more: Lahore Faces Unprecedented Smog Crisis as Pollution Levels Soar
The severe pollution levels have prompted authorities to take emergency actions, including closing primary schools for a week and implementing work-from-home mandates. Additionally, the government has urged parents to ensure children wear masks, stay indoors, keep windows and doors shut, and limit non-essential travel. Measures such as a ban on three-wheeled rickshaws and restrictions on construction in certain areas have also been put in place, with warnings of permanent factory and construction site closures for non-compliance.