Lahore, Pakistan, ranked as the second most polluted city in the world on Sunday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 185, considered “unhealthy.”
According to IQ Air’s data, Delhi, India, was the most polluted city, recording an AQI of 187. Karachi, another Pakistani city, was listed at number nine with an AQI of 107, which is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
Kuwait City ranked third with an AQI of 154, followed by Dhaka, Bangladesh, at 153, and Kolkata, India, at 151.
Other cities in the top ten included Dubai (AQI 140), Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (AQI 134), Kathmandu, Nepal (AQI 120), and Manama, Bahrain (AQI 99).
Environmentalists blamed the pollution in Lahore on the use of low-quality fuels like plastic and rubber, particularly in small industries around Bund Road.
They criticized the government’s lack of effective measures to address the problem. Other contributing factors included vehicular emissions, stubble burning, and smog drifting in from India.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and other institutions were conducting road repairs, leading to regular heavy machinery use, while many public department vehicles lacked fitness certificates and were not inspected by authorities.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it was taking action to combat smog, including banning uncovered sand and mud trucks across the province.
