Pakistan Minister Blames 'Strong Winds From India' as Lahore's AQI Hits 1900

Islamabad: Amid severe unprecedented air pollution in Lahore, Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb blamed India for the "unexpected" situation and the deterioration in air quality.

Speaking during a press conference, Aurangzeb said that all primary schools have been and starting Monday, 50 per cent of office workers will also be required to work from home as part of the "green lockdown" initiative.  

"This smog is very harmful for children, masks should be mandatory in schools," she said. "With the change in the wind’s direction and speed, the AQI of Lahore is now around 500,"  the minister added.

However,  Aurangzeb asserted, "This cannot be solved without talks with India," adding that the provincial government would initiate talks with New Delhi through Pakistan ’s foreign ministry.

“Smog is not a political but a humanitarian issue… The air does not recognise borders between our two countries. It’s impossible to fight smog unless both Punjabs take steps together,” Aurangzeb said as per a report in The Guardian. 

This comes as Lahore on Sunday, topped a real-time ranking of the world’s most polluted cities, having recorded its highest pollution level ever at 1900 near the Pakistan -India border on Saturday, according to data from the provincial government and the Swiss organisation IQAir.

According to the latest reports, Lahore topped the world list of cities with the most polluted air for a second time on Sunday.

The smog crisis in Lahore is similar to the situation in India’s national capital Delhi, which tends to worsen during winter due to temperature inversion trapping pollution closer to the ground.

For days, a thick layer of smog - a mix of fog and pollutants from diesel fumes, agricultural burning, and winter cooling, has blanketed Lahore, turning the air toxic. However, the situation was exacerbated after winds carried polluted air from across the Indian border, placing Lahore third on the global air pollution index. Meanwhile, Delhi and Kinshasa topped the list, with scores of 217 and 201, respectively.

UNICEF data show nearly 600 million children across South Asia are exposed to high pollution levels, with half of all childhood pneumonia deaths in the region associated with air quality issues.

(With Inputs from agencies)