Punjab Cities Record Sharp Rise in Air Pollution

Overview

• Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other districts saw AQI jump to very unhealthy and hazardous levels after Wednesday’s monitors showed night peaks in some Lahore sites and high readings across Punjab.
• International aggregator IQAir reported higher instantaneous spikes, including a 210 reading and a 298 local peak in Lahore Cantonment, while the Punjab EPA’s province-wide data showed lower but still elevated values such as Kot Addu at 183 and Lahore at 143.
• Hospitals and clinics are reporting more patients with eye, nose and throat irritation plus respiratory complaints, and provincial health advisories have urged vulnerable people to limit outdoor activity and keep emergency equipment ready.
• Environmental inspectors cited vehicle exhaust, traffic congestion, ageing heavy trucks, industrial emissions, brick kilns, low-quality coal and open burning as main pollution sources, and Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir has ordered immediate enforcement actions.
• The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast a westerly wave with rain, hail and strong winds that could either help disperse the pollution or briefly worsen exposure while also threatening crops and weak structures, so short-term weather will shape next steps.