Lahore: Lahore ranked fifth among cities in Punjab for air pollution on Thursday, with the citywide Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching around 170, placing it in the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ category, according to the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency’s real-time monitoring system.
The official Punjab AQI dashboard showed Lahore at 169 at noon, based on readings from 10 government-certified monitoring stations. Nankana Sahib, Sargodha, Muzaffargarh and Narowal recorded higher AQI levels, while Lahore ranked fifth with an AQI of 170 in the city ranking.
Air quality varied across Lahore, with the highest reading of 186 recorded at Barki Road, followed by 181 at GT Road and 178 at Shahdara. All 10 monitored locations were classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The official data showed that particulate pollution remained a major concern, with PM2.5 levels at several monitoring stations exceeding the threshold associated with increased health risks, particularly for children, older people and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.
Meanwhile, Lahore experienced hot weather on Thursday. Pakistan Meteorological Department data showed the temperature reaching 34°C around noon, while the minimum temperature was recorded at about 23°C. No rainfall was recorded in Lahore or elsewhere in Punjab during the morning period.
The Meteorological Department’s forecast indicates continued hot and dry conditions in Lahore, with temperatures expected to remain elevated over the coming days. The latest readings also indicate that Lahore’s pollution level was higher than at the same time a day earlier, when the city’s AQI stood at 113, according to the Punjab EPA dashboard.