Lahore tops global pollution charts as AQI hits 533, toxic smog chokes City

• Delhi ranks as second most polluted city with PM2.5 levels measured in Lahore at 341.9 µg/m³—68 times the WHO annual guideline
• Thick haze reduces visibility, triggers spike in respiratory complaints and residents report throat irritation, itchy eyes, and shortness of breath

LAHORE: Lahore’s air quality plummeted to dangerously high levels on Saturday morning, placing Pakistan’s cultural capital at the top of the world’s most polluted major cities, according to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir.

At around 9am, the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 533, remaining firmly in the “hazardous” category as a thick toxic haze lingered over Lahore for days. The smog has drastically reduced visibility and triggered a surge in respiratory complaints across various cities, particularly in the provincial metropolis.

IQAir identified the main pollutant as particulate matter PM2.5, a cancer-causing microscopic particle measured at 341.9 µg/m³—a staggering 68.4 times higher than the World Health Organization’s annual guideline. These particles, small enough to penetrate the bloodstream, are linked to severe health risks, including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory illnesses.

According to hospital data, residents have reported throat irritation, itchy eyes, and shortness of breath, prompting public health experts to advise staying indoors during peak smog hours and wearing N95 or P100 respirators when venturing outside.

Just across the border, New Delhi again topped the global pollution rankings with an AQI of 508 around 8am, later dropping to 446—still in the “hazardous” range. Its PM2.5 concentration stood at 59.7 times the WHO guideline, as India’s sprawling capital of 30 million remained shrouded in acrid winter smog. Cooler seasonal air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of crop-residue smoke, traffic emissions, industrial fumes, and construction dust.

Authorities frequently blame the annual smog on farmers burning stubble in neighboring Punjab and Haryana. Meanwhile, Kolkata ranked third globally, as most of South Asia experienced a seasonal surge in air pollution linked to thermal inversion — a meteorological phenomenon in which a warm air layer traps colder, polluted air near the surface.

Experts warn that this “lid effect,” combined with increased emissions from heating and idling engines, produces a toxic blanket over urban areas during winter months. UNICEF has cautioned that children are particularly vulnerable to acute respiratory infections from polluted air, while a 2023 study found that air pollution can reduce life expectancy by more than five years in parts of South Asia. Livelihoods are routinely disrupted, with smog forcing school closures, slowing transport, and straining public health systems.

Meanwhile, Punjab’s first advanced Smog Monitoring and Control Centre continues to collect real-time air quality data, while anti-smog guns are being deployed at hotspots across Lahore. The authorities and health experts have urged residents to take preventive measures: stay indoors during high AQI hours, improve indoor ventilation with MERV-13 or higher filters, use HEPA air purifiers, avoid indoor smoke, stay hydrated, and consume antioxidant-rich foods and omega-3 fatty acids to counter pollution-related oxidative stress.

Experts emphasize that while these short-term measures can reduce exposure, sustainable improvements require stricter policy enforcement, a cleaner energy transition, and regional cooperation. As winter deepens, the seasonal dynamics of air pollution across South Asia are expected to intensify, making urgent action essential to protect public health.