Air pollution levels in Lahore have surged to alarming levels, with the city’s air quality measuring 40 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended safe limit, prompting public alarm and health advisories.

On Sunday, the city ranked first on a real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities after registering an unprecedented pollution level of 1900 near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday, according to data released by the provincial government and the Swiss organization IQAir.

The unprecedented air pollution levels in Lahore led authorities to implement emergency measures on Sunday, which included issuing work-from-home mandates and closing primary schools.

Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the government has shut primary schools for a week, advising parents to ensure children wear masks. Residents have been advised to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed, and limit unnecessary travel. Hospitals have also been provided with smog counters. Additionally, to help reduce vehicle emissions, 50% of office employees will work from home.

Lahore pollution: World’s most polluted city

Lahore’s air quality index (AQI), on Saturday, surged to 1,067, significantly surpassing the “dangerous” threshold of 300, while levels of the deadly PM2.5 pollutant reached a peak of 610, posing serious health risks. According to World Health Organization standards, a 24-hour PM2.5 reading above 15 is deemed unhealthy, as reported by the Express Tribune.

The hazardous conditions escalated to a critical level on Saturday morning, as pollution levels in areas near the Indian border recorded AQI readings between 1,500 and 1,800. Lahore and its surrounding regions were hit hardest, with AQI scores reaching 1,000 before a temporary southerly wind shift briefly brought the levels down to 283.

Aurangzeb called the situation “unexpected” and pointed to winds carrying pollution from neighboring India as the cause of the decline in air quality.

“This cannot be solved without talks with India,” she stated, noting that the provincial government would seek to initiate talks with its larger neighbor through Pakistan’s foreign ministry. The smog crisis in Lahore, akin to the situation in Delhi, often worsens during the cooler months due to temperature inversion, which traps pollution near the ground.

(With Agency inputs)