Overview
- Air quality in Lahore reached a hazardous AQI of 577 at one point, with multiple city sites later still in the 300–400+ range and other Punjab cities such as Gujranwala and Sialkot reporting extreme readings.
- Punjab Police reported an ongoing anti-smog crackdown with 28 new cases in 24 hours and, for the year, 2,548 cases, 2,278 arrests and penalties exceeding PKR 192 million for violations including stubble burning, vehicle emissions and brick kilns.
- Delhi recorded an average AQI of about 385 in the “very poor” band on Sunday, with 18 stations in the severe category, as a 9°C minimum temperature, high humidity and a low ventilation index limited pollutant dispersal.
- Meteorological and early-warning models signaled poor dispersion conditions through the coming days, indicating a likely persistence of very poor to severe air quality across the National Capital Region.
- Public distrust over monitoring deepened with reports of station shutdowns, water sprinkling near sensors and data gaps, while health advisories urged masking and limited outdoor exposure as hospitals noted rising respiratory complaints.