Air quality worsens across Punjab; Faisalabad records highest pollution as Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan also choke under hazardous smog
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Oct,31, 2025) Air pollution and smog levels across Punjab have worsened, with Faisalabad emerging as the most polluted city in the province.
According to global air quality monitoring agency IQAir, Faisalabad recorded an AQI of 554, followed by Gujranwala at 546, Multan at 478, and Lahore at 471. Bahawalpur recorded 389. Government data also showed alarming pollution levels, with AQI exceeding 500 in several cities including D.G. Khan, Gujranwala, and Kasur.
In Lahore, air quality reached extremely hazardous levels — Forest Department Office Ravi Road at 980, G3 Engineering Council 790, and DHA Phase 8 at 759. The Punjab Air Quality Index reported AQI at 500 on Burki Road and Egerton Road.
Experts warned that stagnant winds and fine particulate matter have intensified smog. Air quality is expected to remain between 330 and 370 AQI throughout the day, with mornings and evenings posing the greatest health risks.
Punjab’s Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb said that on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, anti-smog operations have been accelerated. Twelve departments are implementing a joint action plan, with over 10,000 notices issued and hundreds of polluting factories and brick kilns sealed or fined.
Only environment-friendly zigzag kilns are permitted to operate, while over 1,200 monitoring teams continue on-ground inspections. The government has vowed to protect public health and restore cleaner air across the province.
