LAHORE:
Most major cities in Punjab were engulfed in smog on Monday and the air quality deteriorated to dangerous levels.
Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Kasur recorded the worst air quality levels.
According to international monitoring agency IQAir, Gujranwala’s AQI reached 762, among the highest in the region.
However, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday predicted chances of rain in the provincial capital, which could lead to a significant reduction in smog.
Data from the Punjab Environmental Protection Department showed that Lahore’s air quality index reached 770 at Civil Secretariat, 718 at Sanda Road and 714 at Bedian Road. Several other places, including Burki Road, Shahdara, Kahna, Multan Road, GT Road, Wagah and Egerton Road, also reported high AQI readings. In comparison, DHA Phase 6 recorded 369, Safari Park 357 and Punjab University 355.
According to the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the intensity of smog in Lahore increased sharply after 4 am. The department’s monitoring and forecasting system indicated that the wind blowing from the east and southeast carried smoke and particulate matter from Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur districts to Lahore, Kasur, Sahiwal, Faisalabad and Multan.
Experts have warned that the influx risks worsening pollution levels in central Punjab. The low wind speed early in the morning caused the pollutants to remain trapped near the ground.
Meteorologists attribute the persistent smog to a temperature inversion layer, where cooler air remains trapped near the surface, preventing pollutants from dispersing.
The Health Ministry advised citizens, especially children, the elderly and those with respiratory or heart diseases, to avoid outdoor exposure between midnight and noon, and after 7 p.m.
