Lahore air pollution hits record high, Pakistan minister blames India

Air pollution in Lahore has hit a record high, leaving 14 million inhabitants choking due to a thick layer of smog covering Pakistan's second-largest city. A minister has also blamed India for the "unprecedented" situation, saying that "strong winds" carried the pollutants from the neighbouring nation into Pakistan.

For a second time on Sunday, Lahore topped the world's list of cities with the most polluted air. The previous day, the city's Air Quality Index increased to a whopping 1,067.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good'; 51 and 100 'satisfactory'; 101 and 200 'moderate'; 201 and 300 'poor'; 301 and 400 'very poor'; 401 and 450 'severe'; and above 450 'severe plus'.

As a result of the record-breaking pollution, authorities in Lahore have closed school for a week starting from Monday, while 50 per cent of employees of both government and private companies have been asked to work from home as part of a "green lockdown" plan.

Other measures include bans on tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines; restaurants and food vendors who cook over open fires, and construction work.

Last month, school children across the city were barred from exercising outdoors at least until January 2025 and school hours were adjusted to prevent them from travelling when pollution levels were the highest.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, senior minister from Punjab province, Marriyum Aurangzeb called for talks with India to resolve the pollution issues, adding that authorities would initiate talks with New Delhi via Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

"This cannot be solved without talks with India," she added and urged residents of Lahore, capital of Punjab province, to avoid unecessary travel, remain indoors, and keep doors and windows shut.

Raja Jehangir Anwar, another Punjab official, called stubble burning in India -- a major contributor to air pollution -- the "biggest headache".

A decision to reopen schools in Lahore will be taken by November 9 when authorities will again assess the pollution situation.

Last week, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz called for united efforts with India against smog, which she described as the common enemy of the two countries. She said this was “not a political but a humanitarian issue”.

Pollution in excess of levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years, according to the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute.

According to the Unicef, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution and half of childhood pneumonia deaths are associated with air pollution.

(Inputs from Reuters, AFP, PTI)