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LAHORE, Oct 21 (APP):Diwali celebrations and large-scale stubble burning in Indian cities have significantly worsened air pollution and smog levels in Lahore and its surrounding areas, with the provincial capital’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching around 250 on Tuesday.
According to data from the MET office, polluted winds blowing at a speed of 5 km/h from several Indian cities have intensified Lahore’s poor air quality. The winds currently originate from Amritsar, Ferozepur, Patiala, Gurdaspur, Sangrur, Bathinda, Moga, Barnala, Mansa, and Faridkot, carrying pollution toward Lahore, Kasur, and nearby districts.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board reported that rice was cultivated over nearly 3 million hectares in Indian Punjab during September and October, with around 663 villages contributing heavily to stubble burning. Data from IQAir further showed that Lahore’s PM2.5 concentration was 15 times higher than the World Health Organization’s annual guideline value, placing the city among the world’s most polluted urban centers.