Lahore ranks world’s most polluted major city as Punjab battles poor air quality

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>LAHORE: Lahore was ranked the world’s most polluted major city on Thursday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 419, as air pollution levels remained high across Punjab ahead of the peak <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1950531">smog season</a>.</p> <p>According to IQAir’s live global ranking for 10am to 11am on Oct 29, Lahore topped the list, followed by Cairo with an AQI of 274 and Delhi with 220. Karachi was ranked eighth, with an AQI of 165.</p> <figure class='media w-1/2 sm:w-1/2 media--center media--uneven media--stretch' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/2912445035de721.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img width='338' height='505' src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/2912445035de721.webp' alt=' Figure shows the top ranked polluted cities according to IQAir on Thursday morning. &mdash; Screengrab via IQAir ' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>Figure shows the top ranked polluted cities according to IQAir on Thursday morning. — Screengrab via IQAir</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Punjab government’s air quality monitoring dashboard also showed hazardous pollution levels in several cities.</p> <p>Kasur topped the provincial list with an AQI of 348, followed by Lahore at 324, Faisalabad at 290, Kot Addu at 269 and Dera Ghazi Khan at 267.</p> <p>Nankana Sahib recorded an AQI of 261, Hafizabad 250, Sahiwal 210, Sheikhupura 205, Jhang 203 and Rajanpur 201.</p> <p>Multan and Gujranwala both recorded an AQI of 194, while Bhakkar registered 186 and Vehari 181.</p> <p>The readings from the two monitoring platforms differed, reflecting their respective monitoring locations and reporting periods.</p> <figure class='media w-1/2 sm:w-3/5 media--center media--uneven media--stretch' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/2912332036dac89.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img width='499' height='593' src='https://i.dawn.com/large/2026/10/2912332036dac89.webp' alt=' Punjab government&rsquo;s air quality monitoring dashboard shows hazardous pollution levels in several cities. &mdash; Screengrab via AQI Punjab ' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>Punjab government’s air quality monitoring dashboard shows hazardous pollution levels in several cities. — Screengrab via AQI Punjab</figcaption> </figure> <p>Both, however, indicated elevated pollution levels in Lahore and other parts of Punjab.</p> <p>As of 1:00pm, Lahore ranked at number 5 on IQAir’s live global ranking with an AQI of 183. At the same time, the Punjab government’s live dashboard showed Khanewal as the most polluted city in the province with an AQI of 212, while Lahore’s index was at 173.</p> <p>As pollution levels remained high, the Punjab government intensified enforcement against sources of emissions, including smoke-emitting vehicles, brick kilns, industrial units, plastic burning and construction dust.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2037033">Punjab Safe Cities Authority</a> (PSCA) said it was using artificial intelligence-powered cameras to identify smog-related violations across the province.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2028719'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2028719" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>The authority urged motorists to avoid using vehicles that emit excessive smoke and called on the public to refrain from burning waste.</p> <p>Residents can report violations by calling police emergency number 15.</p> <p>The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) also intensified its pre-smog enforcement campaign, demolishing 197 non-compliant brick kilns, sealing 163 units and registering 162 first information reports (FIRs) during the month-long operation from Sept 28 to Oct 27.</p> <p>Director General EPA Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh said the department was following a data-driven, zero-tolerance strategy to protect public health.</p> <p>He said enforcement teams were using field inspections, surveillance and special day and night squads to identify violations and ensure compliance with environmental laws.</p> <p>According to official figures, EPA teams conducted 11,580 inspections of brick kilns, issued 314 smog notices and imposed fines totalling Rs40.7 million.</p> <p>The agency also inspected 6,650 industrial sites, demolished 22 non-compliant units, issued 333 notices, sealed 191 premises and registered 15 FIRs, collecting Rs28 million in fines.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2040084'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2040084" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>Action against plastic burning included 6,064 inspections, 678 notices, the sealing of 152 premises and the confiscation of 45,100 kilogrammes of plastic. Fines of around Rs2 million were imposed.</p> <p>In a separate exercise to enforce the installation of suction hoods at industrial facilities, officials inspected 4,204 sites. They reported that 1,863 units had installed the equipment, while 1,388 notices were issued and 333 non-compliant sites were sealed.</p> <p>The department collected Rs2.0045 million in penalties.</p> <p>The crackdown also targeted construction dust. EPA officers visited 397 union councils, issued 181 notices, sealed 20 locations and imposed Rs25,000 in fines.</p> <p>Mist sprinklers were installed at 49 sites to suppress dust from construction work and exposed surfaces. In addition, 56 inspections of water-polluting activities resulted in 29 notices and the sealing of two units.</p> <p>To curb agricultural smoke, the Punjab government deployed 67 Quick Response Units across major agricultural belts to detect and respond to incidents of crop-residue burning.</p> <p>The teams use satellite-based fire detection, ground intelligence and field monitoring to identify fires, extinguish them and take action against those responsible.</p> <p>The department has also deployed anti-smog guns at selected locations in Lahore, including major roads, high-traffic corridors, industrial areas and construction sites.</p> <p>DG EPA Sheikh said the equipment was deployed based on ground conditions, AQI readings, particulate matter levels and prevailing wind patterns.</p> <p>The equipment releases fine water droplets designed to bind with suspended dust particles and bring some of them to the ground.</p> <p>However, the department said the deployment complemented enforcement measures targeting pollution sources and was not a substitute for controlling emissions at their source.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2028267'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2028267" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>Drone surveillance and special night squads have also been incorporated into monitoring operations to identify suspected sources of pollution and follow up on violations outside routine inspection hours.</p> <p>With winter approaching, the enforcement drive aims to reduce emissions before smog conditions worsen.</p> <p>The agency said inspections, fines, the sealing of premises, surveillance and responses to agricultural fires would continue as part of its efforts to control pollution across the province.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.