Lahore was ranked world second most polluted city in terms of air quality after Delhi, according to the data collected on Sunday.
The AQI (Air Quality Index) reading for Punjab’s capital stood at 206 while IQAir described the AQI reading of India’s capital Delhi as 278.
Air-pollution in Mumbai, Jakarta, Kuwait City and Kolkata ranked at number third, fourth, fifth and sixth with AQI reading as 175, 167, 160 and 157 respectively.
AQI Measurement:
The IQAir measures Air Quality Index (AQI) by analysing various pollutants in the air. It particularly considers fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) to determine the AQ. IQAir classifies AQI ranking above 150 as “unhealthy” and above 200 is considered “very unhealthy”.
Dhaka, Kabul, Karachi and Hanoi rank seventh, eighth and tenth with AQI reading of 152, 137, 118 and 117 respectively.
IQAir ranked Pakistan as the country with the third-worst air quality in 2024, after Chad and Bangladesh. Pakistan’s AQI stood at 164, while Bangladesh and Chad recorded 167 and 176, respectively. The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranked fourth with an AQI of 153. IQAir declared India the fifth-most polluted country with a ranking of 138.
Meanwhile, IQAir ranked the Bahamas, Bermuda, French Polynesia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico were as the five countries with the cleanest air in 2024.
Today’s AQI Ranking at Different Points in Lahore:
City School Allama Iqbal Town Lahore 330, Revenue Employees Coop Housing Society 298, City School Ravi Campus 284. Syed Maratib Ali Road 256, Diamond Paint industries PVT LTD. 248. The City School, Shadman Market LHE 248. The University of Lahore 248, The City School Shalimar Lahore 247. Badian Road Lahore 245, FF Pakistan 242.
IQAir has recommended that residents in Lahore avoid outdoor exercise. It urged the Lahorites to run air purifiers and prioritise wearing masks. The IQAir website also recommended people to keep close windows to avoid bad air from outdoors.
Punjab’s capital has a history of dealing with smog and poor air quality particularly in the winter season.
