Lahore Declared Most Polluted City in the World
The World Air Quality Index recently announced Lahore, Pakistan, as the most polluted city in the world. Residents of Lahore are alarmed, and so are experts, by poor air quality. In this article we examine the causes of this crisis, its health effects and what is required to reduce the crisis.
It is now Lahore, not Delhi or Beijing, which is the most polluted city in the world. However, the Air Quality Index (AQI) often exceeds hazardous levels, over 300. For millions of people, everyday life is a hassle.
Factors Contributing To Lahore’s Air Quality
- Vehicular Emissions: Lahore’s vehicles contribute over 70 percent of air pollution. Most cars and motorcycles burn low grade fuel and don’t have proper exhaust controls.
- Industrial Emissions: Such industries around Lahore include brick kilns and steel plants that do not have proper filtration systems and no regulation could release pollutants.
- Crop Burning: In harvest season, during which they burn crop residue, farmers release harmful particulate matter and carbon monoxide. This continues to happen without weak enforcement of laws.
- Weather Conditions: Ground level pollution sticks close to the ground in winter, when warm air traps pollutants close to the ground, allowing smog to sit for days.
Read more: Greenland Valley project in Lahore.
Lahore suffers terrible air quality which causes Respiratory diseases, Heart problems and affects the immune system. Air pollution kills roughly 20,000 premature deaths in Pakistan every year, according to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO). Particularly at risk are children, the elderly and pregnant women.
Polluters have been fined by the government and older vehicles are being phased out. Promotion of cleaner fuels is underway, but enforcement is weak. More comprehensive policies are need, on urban planning and renewable energy, according to experts.
Read more: PCB Launches Gaddafi Stadium Upgrade Project for Champions Trophy 2025
Recommendations for Improvement
- Promote Public Transport: Improving public transport by expanding Lahore’s metro bus system for example could reduce pollution.
- Enforce Emission Standards: More power is required to crack the pollutants from vehicles and industries.
- Introduce Green Spaces: But parks and urban forests can also help to absorb pollutants and improve a place’s air quality.
- Raise Awareness: The awareness of public towards pollution and its protective measures is a must.
- Crop Burning Alternatives: The government ought to assist farmers in identifying alternative method to burn crop residue.
Action is needed from the government, industries and citizens in Lahore’s air quality crisis. Regulations must be strict and transport is better. This isn’t just an environmental crisis, it’s a public health crisis. To make Lahore a healthy and cleaner future all stakeholders have to work together.
Read more: Greenland Residencia project in Lahore.
References List
- World Air Quality Index. Lahore Declared Most Polluted City in the World. Published 2023.
- Punjab Environment Protection Department. Report on Vehicular Emissions in Lahore. Published 2023.
- Aga Khan University. Impact of Air Pollution on Children’s Health in Lahore. Published 2023.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Air Pollution and Its Health Impacts in Pakistan. Published 2023.
- Lahore High Court. Directives on Emission Controls and Public Transport. Published 2023.
