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Air quality in Lahore

Air quality index (AQI) and PM2.5 air pollution in Lahore
LAST UPDATE 13:00, Dec 15

187.8K people follow this city

US AQI 375

Hazardous

OVERVIEW

What is the current air quality in Lahore?

Air pollution level Air quality index Main pollutant

Hazardous 375 US AQI PM2.5

Pollutants Concentration

PM2.5 325.6 µg/m³

PM2.5 concentration in Lahore air is currently 65.1 times above the WHO annual air

!
PM2.5
quality guideline value
x65.1

HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS

How to protect from air pollution in Lahore?

Wear a mask outdoors Run an air purifier

GET A MASK GET AN AIR PURIFIER

Close your windows to avoid dirty outdoor air Avoid outdoor exercise

AIR QUALITY DATA CONTRIBUTOR(S)

Station(s) operated by

Contributors SE E ALL

12

Join the movement!

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LAHORE AIR QUALITY MAP

Real-time Lahore air pollution map

EXPLORE MAP

WEATHER

What is the current weather in Lahore?

Weather Mist

Temperature 11°C

Humidity 71%

Wind 5.5 km/h

Pressure 1020 mb

FORECAST

Lahore air quality index (AQI) forecast

Day Pollution level Weather Temperature Wind

Sunday, Dec 12 Very Unhealthy 272 US AQI

Monday, Dec 13 Very Unhealthy 280 US AQI

Tuesday, Dec 14 Hazardous 313 US AQI

Today Hazardous 375 US AQI 16° 9° 7.2 km/h

Thursday, Dec 16 Unhealthy 160 US AQI 19° 9° 7.2 km/h

Friday, Dec 17 Unhealthy 164 US AQI 19° 8° 14.4 km/h

Unhealthy for
Saturday, Dec 18 Sensitive Groups
135 US AQI 19° 7° 10.8 km/h

Interested in hourly forecast? Get the app

HISTORICAL

Historic air quality graph for Lahore

H O U R LY DAILY

450

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300

250

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150

100

50

0
13 Dec, 2:00 PM 14 Dec, 12:00 AM 14 Dec, 10:00 AM 14 Dec, 8:00 PM 15 Dec, 6:00 AM

AQ I P M 2.5

LIVE AQI CITY RANKING

Real-time Pakistan city ranking

# CITY US AQI

1 Faisalabad, Punjab 477

2 Lahore, Punjab 383

3 Gujranwala, Punjab 367

4 Bahawalpur, Punjab 283

5 Raiwind, Punjab 216

6 Multan, Punjab 187

7 Muridke, Punjab 168

8 Islamabad, Islamabad 162

9 Rawalpindi, Punjab 157

10 Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 155

13:00, Dec 15 (local time)

SEE WORLD AQI RANKING

3D animated air
pollution map

LIVE LAHORE AQI RANKING

Real-time Lahore air quality ranking

# STATION US AQI

1 Phase8-DHA 569

2 Dawn Bread Kot Lakhpat 562

3 1FCC Gulberg Syed Maratib Ali Road 531

4 US Consulate in Lahore 514

5 Model Town 464

6 Fatehgarh 457

7 Aitchisonian College, Mall Road 438

8 Sanofi Pakistan Limited 437

9 Bahria Orchard 424

10 Sector R DHA Phase 2 421

13:00, Dec 15 (local time)

SEE WORLD AQI RANKING

How to best protect from air pollution?

Reduce your air pollution exposure in Lahore

IQAir's Car air purifier IQAir's Air purifier IQAir's Air quality monitor

Car air purifier Air purifier Air quality monitor

AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS FOR LAHORE

How polluted is Lahore’s air?

Lahore suffers from high levels of air pollution, with the city regularly ranking at the top of IQAir AirVisual’s live pollution
rankings of major global cities. However, pollution only rose to the top of the public’s consciousness in early 2017, when
actionable air quality data was published for the first time in Pakistan. In the absence of publicly available government
data, a network of citizen-operated sensors began to monitor fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, and report
data in real-time. The data laid bare Lahore’s high levels of air pollution, shocking the public and becoming a media
talking point.

The resulting publicity led to a public interest petition to review the government’s response to the smog crisis, which was
heard at Lahore’s High Court in November 2017. The court ordered authorities to prepare an updated smog response
action plan, and publish daily pollution updates until able to publish hourly updates, as the non-government monitors do.

Following the court order, the Punjab Environment Protection Council approved a Smog Action Plan and adopted an Air
Quality Index (AQI) classification system in 2017. However, the AQI has been criticized by air quality advocates as being
too lax and underreporting the severity of the pollution. While the U.S. AQI deems a PM2.5 concentration of 60
micrograms per cubic meter in the air as “Unhealthy”, Punjab’s AQI reads as “Satisfactory”, with the advice: “May cause
minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.”

Because of this discrepancy, in November 2019, three children asked a court to declare the Punjab AQI “illegal and
unreasonable.”

Does the Pakistani government publish real-time air quality data?

As of November 2019, Pakistani authorities still don’t publish any real-time PM2.5 air quality data. All data come from
non-government sensors and the U.S. State Department. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, and the three U.S. Consulates
in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar began monitoring and publishing real-time PM2.5 data online in the first half of 2019.

When is Lahore’s air pollution at its worst?

Air quality in Lahore usually worsens during the winter season from October to February when farmers in the wider
Punjab province set light to the remnants of crops, producing smoke that adds to smog. At the same time, weather
changes mean pollutants remain trapped in the air for longer.

In November 2019, during the heart of Pakistan’s “smog season”, Lahore regularly came second only to Delhi – and
sometimes overtook the Indian city – as the world’s most polluted city on IQAir AirVisual’s live rankings of major global
cities.

Is Lahore the most polluted city?

In 2018, Lahore ranked 10 in IQAir AirVisual’s 2018 World Air Quality Report. Neighbouring city Faisalabad's air pollution
ranked number 3, while air pollution in Islamabad – Pakistan’s capital city – came in significantly lower at number 239.
Karachi air pollution was the lowest among the four cities at number 318.

Overall, Pakistan air pollution caused the country to be ranked as the second most polluted in the world with an annual
PM2.5 average of 74.3 µg/m³.

What causes air pollution in Lahore?

Air pollution in Lahore is caused by a combination of vehicle and industrial emissions, smoke from brick kilns, the burning
of crop residue and general waste, and dust from construction sites. Other factors of air pollution include large scale
losses of trees to build new roads and buildings.

Winter air pollution is worse due to temperature inversion, which results in a layer of warm air that is prevented from rising
trapping air pollutants.

How can air pollution in Lahore be reduced?

Real-time air quality data must first be made available to everyone with greater granularity. When people know how much
pollution they are breathing, they can better take measures to protect themselves and be enabled to mobilise efforts
around tackling air pollution.

Reducing industrial and vehicular emissions is also critical to improving the air quality. Prime Minister Imran Khan has told
his cabinet that tackling air pollution is a priority, and authorities have taken measures to reduce pollution from brick kilns.
Under the Punjab Green Development Program (PGDP) project, there are plans to do more, including establishing 10 air
quality monitoring stations in Lahore.

Individuals can take steps in their daily life to reduce personal emissions by carpooling or taking public transport, actively
switching to greener fuel alternatives, and more.

Lahore air quality data attribution

Contributors 12

Government

U.S. Department of State

1 station

Non-profit organization

Pakistan Air Quality Initiative

3 stations

Educational

Beaconhouse
1 station

Corporate

Arbisoft Pvt. Ltd. Bread & Beyond

1 station 1 station

Dawn Bread HAC Agri Limited

1 station 1 station

NetSol Technologies ROZEE.PK

1 station 1 station

Individual

Finja House SZMZ

1 station 1 station

Anonymous

14 Anonymous contributor
14 stations

Data sources 4

IQAir PurpleAir

U.S. Department of State AirNow

Data validated and calibrated by IQAir

Where is the cleanest air quality in Lahore?

Lahore air pollution by location

Beaconhouse - Canal Side Boys Campus 195 LUMS - DHA 220 Finja house 258 Askari 10 261

Bread & Beyond 285 Eden Cottages 316 Askari Heights 321 Umar Block Allama Iqbal Town 323

Lahore American School 331 Khana e Saleem 339 NetSol LHR 2 342 Rozee.pk - Block E1 364

Arbisoft - Thokar Niaz Baig 374 Anarkali Bazaar 377 Township Block 2 Twp Sector D 1 412 HAC Agri Limited 416

FC College 418 Sector R DHA Phase 2 421 Bahria Orchard 424 Sanofi Pakistan Limited 437

Aitchisonian College, Mall Road 438 Fatehgarh 457 Model Town 464 US Consulate in Lahore 514

1FCC Gulberg Syed Maratib Ali Road 531 Dawn Bread Kot Lakhpat 562 Phase8-DHA 569

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