Lahore and Delhi amongst world's most polluted cities; health warnings issued
Oct 27, 2024, 13:33 IST
AQI (Air Quality Index) levels in Lahore, Pakistan, have reached alarming levels, with the city's AQI approaching the 700 mark on Sunday, according to various global monitoring sites. Notably, an AQI above 300 is considered hazardous, necessitating emergency health warnings.
The city's overall AQI has been recorded at 690, placing Lahore at the top of the world's most polluted cities list. Not far from Lahore in this list was Delhi, India's capital, where AQI in East Delhi's Anand Vihar touched a severe 403 today morning. As of 1:15 pm today, data from SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) notes that Delhi's AQI stood at 361. Just like Delhi, Lahore's worsening air quality is also exacerbated by crop burning and industrial emissions from nearby states.
As such, the PM2.5 concentration in New Delhi is already 12.4 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended limit. PM2.5, or particulate matter 2.5, refers to the quantum of tiny particles that are around 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter present in the air.
These consist of smoke, soot, dust, pollen, bacteria, and more. Why they are particularly dangerous is that these particles can settle deep into our lungs when inhaled, causing respiratory issues, eye irritation, coughing, and more.
Owing to deteriorating air quality in India's capital, GRAP-2, or Graded Response Action Plan, has been implemented in the city. Under this, curbs will be in effect on the use of coal, firewood, and diesel generators in the NCR region. The first stage of the plan was implemented on October 15, 2024.
Additionally, water sprinkling and mechanical sweeping will be carried out on specific sites regularly, along with dust control measures enforced at various construction sites across the city. With Diwali around the corner, the Delhi government has already banned the production, sale, storage, and usage of firecrackers till January 1, 2025.
The air becomes heavier in the winter as compared to the summer, causing poisonous particles in the atmosphere to move downwards and making the atmosphere polluted. To combat this, Pakistan is planning cloud seeding to generate artificial rain in the city. Additionally, the city's government has also constituted an "anti-smog squad" to visit the most affected areas.
Research by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, has even found a strong causality between the risk of premature mortality and excess air pollution levels. In areas where average concentrations of PM2.5 exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 40 micrograms per cubic meter, newborns (less than 30 days old) were at an 86% increased risk of premature mortality. This rose to 104% in infants aged up to 1 year, 119% in children aged between 1-5, and 13% in adults.
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The city's overall AQI has been recorded at 690, placing Lahore at the top of the world's most polluted cities list. Not far from Lahore in this list was Delhi, India's capital, where AQI in East Delhi's Anand Vihar touched a severe 403 today morning. As of 1:15 pm today, data from SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) notes that Delhi's AQI stood at 361. Just like Delhi, Lahore's worsening air quality is also exacerbated by crop burning and industrial emissions from nearby states.
As such, the PM2.5 concentration in New Delhi is already 12.4 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended limit. PM2.5, or particulate matter 2.5, refers to the quantum of tiny particles that are around 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter present in the air.
These consist of smoke, soot, dust, pollen, bacteria, and more. Why they are particularly dangerous is that these particles can settle deep into our lungs when inhaled, causing respiratory issues, eye irritation, coughing, and more.
Owing to deteriorating air quality in India's capital, GRAP-2, or Graded Response Action Plan, has been implemented in the city. Under this, curbs will be in effect on the use of coal, firewood, and diesel generators in the NCR region. The first stage of the plan was implemented on October 15, 2024.
Additionally, water sprinkling and mechanical sweeping will be carried out on specific sites regularly, along with dust control measures enforced at various construction sites across the city. With Diwali around the corner, the Delhi government has already banned the production, sale, storage, and usage of firecrackers till January 1, 2025.
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The air becomes heavier in the winter as compared to the summer, causing poisonous particles in the atmosphere to move downwards and making the atmosphere polluted. To combat this, Pakistan is planning cloud seeding to generate artificial rain in the city. Additionally, the city's government has also constituted an "anti-smog squad" to visit the most affected areas.
Research by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, has even found a strong causality between the risk of premature mortality and excess air pollution levels. In areas where average concentrations of PM2.5 exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 40 micrograms per cubic meter, newborns (less than 30 days old) were at an 86% increased risk of premature mortality. This rose to 104% in infants aged up to 1 year, 119% in children aged between 1-5, and 13% in adults.