Commuters are seen amid heavy smog in Lahore, eastern Pakistan, on Nov. 15, 2019. The air quality in Lahore and adjoining districts on Friday surpassed a hazardous level, forcing local government to close down all public and private schools for two days, according to a notification issued by the Punjab School Education Department. (Photo by Sajjad/Xinhua/IANS)
Islamabad, October 29 (IANS): Lahore was named the world's most polluted city on Thursday with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 419 as reports reveal that air pollution is cutting life expectancy in Pakistan by an estimated 3.9 years and contributes to around 128,000 premature deaths each year.
According to IQAir's global ranking for 10 am to 11 am on October 29, Lahore was ranked the world’s most polluted city, followed by Egypt's Cairo with an AQI of 274. Karachi was ranked at the eighth spot with an AQI of 165, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.
The Punjab government's air quality monitoring dashboard has also revealed hazardous pollution levels in several cities of the province, with Kasur at the top in the provincial list. The AQI in Nankana Sahib was recorded at 261, followed by Hafizabad 250, Sahiwal 210, Sheikhupura 205, Jhang 203 and Rajanpur 201. Multan and Gujranwala recorded AQI of 194, followed by Bhakkar with 186 and Vehari with 181.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI), air pollution cuts life expectancy in Pakistan by an estimated 3.9 years and contributes to around 128,000 premature deaths each year. The report said that pollution imposes an economic burden of 6.5 per cent of Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while exposure to polluted air for a long time could reduce life expectancy in Lahore by up to seven years.
The report titled 'Unveiling Pakistan's Air Pollution: A National Landscape Report on Health Risks, Sources, and Solutions' presents Pakistan's first harmonised, multi-sector emissions inventory along with a multi-city analysis of air quality. The report examines pollution patterns in several cities of Pakistan like Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Peshawar. It identified the primary sources of emissions in each city and detailed measures that could reduce them by up to 50 per cent, 'The Express Tribune' reported.
The assessment covers carbon dioxide, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), detailing sector-wise analysis of emissions across the four urban airsheds. The report said that Lahore's annual average PM2.5 concentration is more than 110 micrograms per cubic metre, over 22 times the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual guideline of five micrograms per cubic metre. The exposure to these pollution levels for a long time could reduce life expectancy in the city by up to seven years, according to the report.
Transport has been identified as the largest source of primary PM2.5 emissions in Lahore, followed by industry at 28 per cent and brick kilns at 17 per cent, The Express Tribune reported. These sources contribute to Lahore's particulate pollution, with winter weather conditions further aggravating the problem.
