Punjab government’s policy of smart lockdowns to combat smog has brought minor improvements in the Lahore’s pollution levels. However, the city’s air quality is still classified as ‘very unhealthy’.

Lahore had become the world’s most polluted city on November 14 with Air Quality Index showing ratings of over 400.

The AQI started to improve over the course of the week, but came down to 296 on Friday and 283 on Saturday.

On Saturday, the government inposed a smart lockdown in 10 districts of the province including Lahore.

Consequently, the AQI saw a bigger dip compared to previous days to reach 241 on Sunday.

While the AQI has indeed dropped, ratings of between 200-300 are still qualified as ‘very unhealthy’.

Punjab government has enforced smart lockdowns twice this year. The additional emphasis on air quality is also being fed by citizen petitions in the Lahore Hgh Court which are continuously being heard.