Province records average AQI of 200 during morning-to-afternoon monitoring period
A view of smog in Punjab province. PHOTO FILE: AFP
LAHORE:
A thick blanket of smog continued to choke most parts of Punjab on Saturday, pushing air quality to alarmingly hazardous levels in several districts, compounding public health concerns as dense fog and cold weather persisted across the region.
According to data released by the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the province recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 200 during the morning-to-afternoon monitoring period, placing it firmly in the ‘unhealthy’ bracket.
Several districts fared worse. Muzaffargarh topped the list with an AQI of 291, followed by Rahim Yar Khan at 279 and Lahore at 274, all classified as ‘very unhealthy’.
Other major urban centres also reported elevated pollution levels. Gujrat recorded an AQI of 214, while Khanewal stood at 204. Cities including Narowal, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur remained in the upper ‘unhealthy’ range.
Within Lahore, air quality readings varied sharply by location but remained alarming overall, with some monitoring stations showing extreme pollution. Town Hall reported an AQI of 442, UET Lahore 43 and Egerton Road 402, all falling in the ‘hazardous’ category. Other hotspots included the Lahore Waste Management Company area at 357 and the Safari Park at 342.
Some areas, considered relatively less polluted, offered little relief. Shahdara, Kahna Nau Hospital and Punjab University campuses continued to report AQI readings well above safe limits, while peripheral locations such as Wagah and Bedian also hovered in the ‘unhealthy’ zone. Environmental experts warn that prolonged exposure at these levels can aggravate respiratory and cardiac conditions, particularly among children, the elderly and those with pre-existing illnesses.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), a shallow westerly wave is present over the northwestern parts of the country, but it is not strong enough to significantly disperse pollutants across the plains.
The PMD forecast partly cloudy weather with chances of light rain and snowfall at isolated locations in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan for Saturday. Elsewhere, including Punjab, cold and dry conditions are expected to prevail. Moderate to dense fog is likely to persist over Punjab, upper Sindh and the plains of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa during morning and night hours.
A similar outlook has been issued for Sunday, with partly cloudy conditions and isolated rain or snowfall in northern regions, while fog is expected to linger across the plains. Meteorologists caution that continued fog and stagnant air could further trap pollutants near the surface, prolonging the smog episode.
Over the past 24 hours, cold and dry weather dominated most parts of the country, with very cold and partly cloudy conditions in hilly areas. Light rain and snowfall were recorded at isolated locations in upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, including Kalam, Astore and Skardu. Snowfall traces were also reported in Gupis.
Minimum temperatures dipped sharply in northern regions, with Leh recording minus 8 degrees Celsius, Gupis minus 7, Bagrote minus 6 and Parachinar minus 4. Skardu, Gilgit and Astore recorded lows of minus 3 degrees Celsius.
Health professionals are urging residents, particularly in smog-hit urban centres, to limit outdoor activity, use protective masks and keep windows closed during peak pollution hours. Environmental officials, meanwhile, have reiterated calls for stricter enforcement against smoke-emitting vehicles, industrial emissions and crop residue burning, warning that without sustained intervention, air quality is unlikely to improve in the coming days.
For now, with weak weather systems and persistent fog, Punjab appears set to remain under a heavy smog cloud, leaving millions to breathe air that experts say is increasingly unsafe.
