Lahore’s air quality index (AQI) deteriorated on Thursday, reclaiming its position as the most polluted city in the world after a brief improvement.
The capital of Punjab had earlier dropped to the second spot for several days due to strict measures implemented by the provincial government to control air pollution.
However, the AQI in Lahore surged to 611 around 10:30 AM on Thursday, marking the world’s worst air quality. The concentration of PM2.5 pollutants in the air was recorded at 381, a staggering 76.2 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended annual air quality guideline.
An AQI of 600 or above is classified as hazardous to human health by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. In Lahore’s US consulate area, an even more alarming AQI of 1055 was recorded.
Elsewhere in Pakistan, Multan ranked as the second-most polluted city in the country on Thursday with an AQI of 260. Peshawar followed as the third most polluted city in Pakistan, with an AQI of 259. Karachi ranked fifth nationally and seventh globally, with an AQI of 162 and PM2.5 levels 14.2 times above healthy limits.
