Lahore tops global pollution ranking as AQI surges to 647

Lahore once again emerged as the world’s most polluted major city on Monday, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing to 590, while a separate hourly reading touched 647, placing the city in the hazardous category.

According to IQAir, Lahore topped the global list of the most polluted major cities between 9am and 10am on November 9. Ulaanbaatar ranked second with an AQI of 177, followed by Delhi at 174, Kolkata at 173 and Sarajevo at 170. Lahore’s pollution level was more than three times that of the second-ranked city.

Air quality conditions across Lahore remained extremely dangerous, with several neighbourhoods recording alarming pollution levels. Allama Iqbal Town reported an AQI of 1,033, while the CERP Office area recorded 864 and Burki Road Paragon reached 748. Hourly monitoring data showed that pollution levels tended to rise during early morning and late-night hours, worsening smog across the provincial capital.

The deteriorating situation was not limited to Lahore. Other Punjab cities also recorded hazardous air quality. Raiwind registered an AQI of 688, Multan 655 and Faisalabad 600, according to IQAir’s Pakistan city rankings.

The latest pollution spike followed warnings from the Punjab government that Diwali fireworks in neighbouring Indian Punjab, agricultural residue burning and easterly winds could worsen air quality in Lahore and surrounding districts.

A provincial government assessment issued on November 8 warned that smoke from Diwali celebrations could reach Lahore within five to 13 hours. It forecast deteriorating air quality in Lahore, Kasur and adjoining border areas on the morning of November 9 as easterly winds were expected to carry polluted air across the border.

The report identified fireworks, crop-residue burning and stagnant nighttime air as potential contributors to the worsening conditions. Amritsar, located approximately 50 kilometres from Lahore, was identified as a possible source of cross-border pollution.

However, determining the exact contribution of pollution from across the border would require a detailed assessment based on air quality measurements.

Indian media reports also highlighted increased pollution following Diwali celebrations in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala. Mandi Gobindgarh reportedly recorded an AQI of 445, while New Delhi also experienced worsening air quality after the festivities.

The Punjab government’s assessment documented 2,347 crop-residue burning incidents in Indian Punjab up to November 4. Of these, 1,081 were reported in Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Amritsar, districts located opposite Lahore and Kasur. These areas accounted for around 46 per cent of the reported incidents in Indian Punjab.

However, satellite observations suggest that agricultural fires within Pakistan are also contributing significantly to the regional pollution problem.

An analysis by Hamari Hawa, based on NASA’s VIIRS satellite data, recorded 13,241 fire detections in Pakistani Punjab between October 1 and 29, compared with 3,158 in Indian Punjab. Around 92 per cent of the detections on the Pakistani side were located on agricultural land.

Another assessment covering October 15 to November 1 identified 7,130 crop-associated fire detections within a 100-kilometre radius of Lahore on both sides of the border. Of these, 781 were recorded within 40 kilometres of central Lahore.

The district-wise breakdown included 322 detections in Sheikhupura, 149 in Tarn Taran, 106 in Amritsar, 77 in Nankana Sahib, 62 in Lahore and 50 in Kasur. These figures represent satellite-detected fire activity and do not necessarily confirm individual incidents of crop-residue burning.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) reported 679 agricultural fire incidents across the province. It said 650 of these had been extinguished through coordinated monitoring and firefighting operations.

The agency has intensified its campaign against stubble burning by deploying specialised night patrol teams, drones, tractor-mounted fire bowsers and quick response units in vulnerable agricultural areas.

The Punjab Climate Watch Hub is also using satellite-based fire detection systems to identify potential hotspots and alert district teams for on-ground verification and firefighting operations. The campaign covers several districts, including Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sialkot, Sargodha and Gujranwala.

EPA Director General Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed regional officials and field teams to strengthen enforcement against agricultural burning and personally supervise operations. He has also conducted surprise inspections along motorway routes and GT roads to review surveillance and firefighting arrangements.

The agency said it was working with district administrations and Agriculture Department officials to prevent illegal crop-residue burning. Legal action is also being taken against those found violating environmental regulations.

The provincial assessment further revealed that Lahore’s nighttime PM2.5 concentration had already reached 202 micrograms per cubic metre before Diwali celebrations. Unfavourable weather conditions were increasing the likelihood of pollutants from fireworks and agricultural fires accumulating in the atmosphere.

Authorities forecast that pollution levels would remain elevated on November 9 and 10, with some improvement expected from November 11.

The Environment Protection Department is expected to publish comparative findings on November 10 to evaluate the impact of different pollution sources and prevailing weather conditions. The assessment is expected to help determine the extent of cross-border pollution while distinguishing it from emissions generated within Punjab.