Islamabad: Lahore, the capital city of Punjab Province in Pakistan has once again topped as the most polluted city in the world with a hazardous Air Quality Index of 999 on Friday.
Pakistan’s second-largest city Lahore has once again topped the daily ranking of the most polluted cities in the world, leaving authorities scrambling to fight the environmental crisis, Al Jazeera reported.
According to aqicn.org, the air quality in Lahore around 6 pm was 999, While IQAir, a global environmental think-tank, recorded it was 296 early, making it the most polluted city in the world on Friday.
Lahore is home to more than 11 million people. Amir Farooq, the official in charge of fighting pollution in Punjab said, “We have sealed over 500 industrial units and imposed heavy fines on smoke emitting vehicles and brick kilns.”
Accusing the Pakistan government, environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam said, “Air pollution in Lahore is nothing but a failure of the government.”
Alam said the city was producing the same amount of pollution every single day throughout the year and government agencies’ action in the winter season was nothing but a “panic response”.
Pakistani authorities blame industrial emissions, smoke from brick kilns and vehicles, the burning of crop residue and general waste for being behind air pollution and smog in Lahore.
Pakistan is responsible for less than one percent of global carbon emissions but is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations.
