Air pollution levels in Lahore rise 40 times above WHO limit

NEWS WIRES

2 November 2024 at 7:32 am·1-min read

Commuters make their way amid smog in Lahore on November 2, 2024.

Air pollution levels in Pakistan's second biggest city Lahore reached an unprecedented high on Saturday, soaring more than 40 times above the WHO’s acceptable limit for pollutants. Authorities have imposed strict new restrictions, including partial work-from-home mandates and curfews.

Air pollution in Pakistan's second biggest city Lahore soared on Saturday more than 40 times over the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an official calling it record high.

The level of deadly PM2.5 pollutants -- fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health -- peaked at 610, with a reading above 15 in a 24-hour period considered unhealthy by the WHO.

The air quality index, which measures a range of pollutants, also spiked at 1,067.

"We have never reached a level of 1,000," Jahangir Anwar, a senior environmental protection official in Lahore told AFP.

For days, Lahore has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.

"The air quality index will remain high for the next three to four days," Anwar said.

On Wednesday, the provincial environmental protection agency announced new restrictions in four "hot spots" in the city.

Tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines are banned, as are restaurants that barbecue without filters.

(AFP)

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