Pakistani city ranks among the most polluted in the world
The Pakistani city of Lahore once again topped the daily rankings as the world's most polluted city, with authorities there unable to curb pollution levels.
According to the classification of the Swiss company "IQ Air" to monitor air quality, the average air quality reached 296 this Friday morning in the city of Lahore, making it the most polluted city in the world.
Lahore replaced New Delhi, the capital of India, as the most polluted city for the first time last November.
The smog covered cities in the central province of Punjab, including the provincial capital, Lahore, which is home to more than 11 million people.
Amir Farooq, director of Punjab's Pollution Control Department, said more than 500 industrial units had been closed, as well as heavy fines being imposed on smoke-emitting vehicles and brick kilns.
Farouk said in statements that his administration is working on developing a long-term action plan to reduce pollution levels.
Environmental lawyer Ahmed Refai Alam said the reason for the air pollution in Lahore is the failure of the government.
Allam added that Lahore produces the same amount of pollution daily throughout the year, noting that government agencies' actions in the winter season were nothing but a "panic response".
The Pakistani authorities attribute the reason for the rise in air pollution and smog to industrial exhaust and smoke from brick kilns and vehicles, as well as the burning of agricultural crop residues and general waste.
Pakistan is responsible for less than one percent of global carbon emissions, but is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
In 2019, Pakistan launched a four-year initiative to plant 10 billion trees by 2023. The initiative has so far crossed the one billion tree mark.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news