Pakistan, Indian cities among the most polluted: WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) global micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) database shows that 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in northern India and Pakistan.

The concentration of PM2.5 in the air at 10 µg/m3 is rendered to be safe as per WHO Air Quality Guidelines. However, Pakistan has an annual average of PM2.5 of 65.81µg/m3. In its report, the World Air Quality 2019, ranked Pakistan as the second-most polluted country in the world. India was ranked 5th.

Pakistan's Bahawalpur, Faislabad, Karachi, Multan and Lahore and other cities are ranked prominently among the most polluted cities globally. Agricultural practices like crop burning, traffic pollution, industry and rubbish burning have contributed to the air pollution problems in both India and Pakistan.

The report pointed out that air pollution has contributed to reducing the average age of Pakistani citizens by around 2.5 years. The poor air quality also accounts for some 113,500 deaths in Pakistan annually from diseases like stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

An official source in the environment department said that the massive rise in smog in Lahore will attain its peak by November 10. It will rise a lot due to stubble burning in the areas and the neighbouring country coupled with operation of bricks kilns, the official said.

Likewise, Pakistan's neighbor India, suffered its most toxic day in a year on Thursday. It recorded the concentration of poisonous PM2.5 particles at 14 times the WHOs safe limit.

“At this time in Delhi, coronavirus and pollution are causing a major havoc,” Arvind Kejriwal, New Delhi’s chief minister said in a recorded video on Twitter.