LAHORE: Smog has once again turned life in Punjab miserable as Lahore ranked the most polluted city in the world on Wednesday, with its overall Air Quality Index (AQI) surging to 462, marking hazardous levels of air pollution.
According to real-time monitoring data, Sandha Road recorded an alarming AQI of 941, followed by Cantonment at 690, Iqbal Town at 639, and Burki Road at 616 — placing the provincial capital under severe smog conditions.
The situation was similarly dire in other major cities. Multan’s AQI hit 507, Faisalabad 712, Gujranwala 287, and Peshawar 219, all indicating unhealthy to extremely hazardous air quality.
Medical experts have urged citizens to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities, wear protective masks, and keep windows closed, warning that prolonged exposure to the polluted air could trigger respiratory and cardiac complications, particularly among children and the elderly.
Authorities said the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has mobilized its 16 mechanical washers and 50 washing rickshaws as part of the ongoing anti-smog operation.
Around 200 sanitation workers have been deployed in the day shift and another 200 at night, carrying out washing and water sprinkling on over 300 kilometers of roads daily.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that water sprinkling is being carried out twice a day across 47 major roads, including Jail Road, Main Boulevard Gulberg, Noor Jahan Road, MM Alam Road, GT Road, Band Road, Ravi Road, Shahdara, Saggian, Nazaria Pakistan Avenue, Raiwind Road, and Ferozepur Road, among other high-AQI areas.
In the night shift, mechanical washing and water sprinkling are being ensured at all entry and exit points of Lahore, in a bid to suppress dust and particulate matter contributing to smog formation.
