Record-Breaking Smog in Lahore Pushes Air Quality Index to Life-Threatening Levels

Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, is grappling with unprecedented air pollution levels, with air quality deteriorating to nearly 80 times above the World Health Organization (WHO) safety threshold. PM2.5 particles — the fine pollutants most hazardous to human health — surged to a historic peak of 1,067, before later stabilizing around 300. For context, the WHO considers any level above 10 to be unhealthy.

“We have never reached a level of 1,000,” reported Jahangir Anwar, a senior official with the Environmental Protection Department, who described the pollution as “record high.”

The city has been shrouded in a thick layer of smog for days, caused by a mix of factors, including diesel exhaust, smoke from seasonal crop burning, and cooler winter temperatures trapping pollutants close to the ground.

According to Anwar, the air quality is expected to remain critical for the next three to four days.

In response, authorities have imposed new restrictions across four “hot spots” within Lahore. Tuk-tuks powered by polluting two-stroke engines are now banned, along with restaurants that grill without proper filtration systems. Government offices and private businesses will implement partial remote work for employees beginning Monday, while construction activities have been paused. Street and food vendors who rely on open fires for cooking must close by 8 pm daily.

Air quality typically worsens in winter as cooler, denser air traps emissions from low-grade fuels used by vehicles and factories, exacerbating the city’s smog problem.