Lahore’s AQI crosses 600 as smog worsens across Punjab amid Diwali fireworks in India

Lahore was ranked the world’s most polluted major city on Monday, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 590 between 9am and 10am, according to IQAir, as the Punjab government attributed the deterioration partly to Diwali fireworks and polluted winds coming from neighbouring Indian Punjab.

A separate historical reading on the platform showed an hourly AQI of 647 for Lahore, placing the city in the hazardous category. The live global ranking placed Ulaanbaatar second with an AQI of 177, followed by Delhi at 174, Kolkata at 173 and Sarajevo at 170.

In a statement on Monday, Punjab Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said fireworks during Diwali celebrations across the border had contributed to increased air pollution in Lahore on November 8. She said polluted winds from Indian cities, including Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Khem Karan, Amritsar, Fazilka and Tarn Taran, had affected the city’s air quality.

The minister said a change in wind direction, along with local measures to control pollution, had helped improve the AQI. She added that the provincial government’s preventive measures had kept pollution levels below the forecast range despite the impact of Diwali fireworks.

However, IQAir’s readings showed hazardous air quality in several parts of Punjab. Its city ranking recorded AQI levels of 688 in Raiwind, 655 in Multan, 639 in Lahore and 600 in Faisalabad. Within Lahore, Allama Iqbal Town recorded 1,033, CERP Office 864 and Burki Road Paragon 748.

The provincial government had earlier warned that smoke from Diwali fireworks, crop-residue burning and easterly winds could worsen air quality in Lahore and adjoining districts. Its November 8 report forecast that smoke from fireworks could reach Lahore within five to 13 hours.

However, establishing the precise contribution of cross-border pollution requires measurement-based assessment. Satellite data also indicates significant agricultural fire activity on the Pakistani side of Punjab.

Aurangzeb said a change in wind direction and speed, along with sunshine, was expected to improve conditions over the next two to three hours. She urged residents, particularly children, older people, pregnant women and those with respiratory or heart conditions, to remain indoors and avoid outdoor activities until air quality improved.