Lahore | October 25, 2025: Lahore was ranked the world’s most polluted city on Friday as a dense and hazardous layer of smog blanketed the provincial capital, severely impairing visibility and triggering health warnings across the metropolis.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded by monitoring agencies, Lahore’s overall air quality reached a “hazardous” level of 362, far exceeding global safety limits. Some areas reported even more alarming figures, with Shalimar recording an AQI of 690, Shadman 611, and Syed Maratib Ali Road 609, placing them in the emergency range.
Other neighbourhoods, including Iqbal Town, Lower Mall and the Civil Secretariat, also reported critically high levels of particulate matter, posing grave health risks to residents. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that no immediate improvement was expected, forecasting that the smog would persist over eastern Punjab due to stagnant weather conditions.
The PMD identified industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and crop residue burning as the main contributors to the smog, cautioning that children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or cardiac ailments were particularly vulnerable.
The Environmental Protection Force, launched by the Chief Minister, was established in less than five months to ensure multi-sectoral surveillance-covering stubble burning, industry, brick kilns, and more. We now have 41 air quality monitors across Punjab, integrated through the… pic.twitter.com/JfZ57Qh66J
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) October 24, 2025
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb described the situation as an “environmental emergency” and said the government had implemented a multi-pronged response plan. “For the first time in Punjab’s history, the use of plastic bags has been completely banned,” she said, urging citizens to cooperate with authorities in the fight against air pollution.
Ms Aurangzeb added that brick kilns across Punjab were being shifted to environmentally friendly zigzag technology, while a dedicated Smog War Room and public helpline had been established to monitor and respond to violations.
Health experts have advised residents to wear masks, use air purifiers where possible, and limit outdoor exposure, particularly during early morning and evening hours when smog concentrations peak.
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Environmental activists have renewed calls for urgent, long-term measures to control industrial emissions and promote sustainable urban transport to prevent Lahore’s recurring smog crisis.
