ISLAMABAD: Lahore once again topped the list of the world’s most polluted major cities on Tuesday, according to Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, as the Punjab administration said it was taking stern action against farmers burning crop residue that worsens smog across the province each winter.
The smog season in Pakistan begins in late October, peaks from November to January and lasts through February.
It affects much of the eastern province of Punjab, which faces worsening air quality each year due to multiple factors, including vehicle emissions and industrial pollution, which threaten public health and daily life.
“In line with the Chief Minister’s directives, strict action is being taken against those burning crop stubble,” the provincial authorities said in a statement, adding that 27 cases had been registered and fines totaling Rs405,000 ($1,450) imposed in districts including Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad.
The Punjab administration also announced that vehicles without a valid “green sticker” certifying compliance with the province’s environmental standards would be seized after November 15.
Only those meeting emission norms will be allowed on the roads, according to an official statement.
Lahore recorded an AQI of 196 at around 1:30 p.m. local time, placing it in the “unhealthy” category and ahead of New Delhi (192) and Beijing (172).
The IQAir live ranking also listed Karachi as the seventh most polluted city globally, underscoring Pakistan’s persistent urban air quality crisis.
Smog can cause sore throats, eye irritation and respiratory illnesses, while long-term exposure increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and lung cancer.
Children are particularly vulnerable due to higher breathing rates and weaker immune systems.
Lahore, a city of around 14 million people, began using anti-smog guns, spraying fine water mist across major roads, for the first time this month in an effort to reduce airborne pollutants.
