Lahore was ranked the most polluted city in the world at 02:24pm on Saturday, according to the air quality index (AQI), as medical experts urge people to wear masks while going out.

According to the IQAir, Lahore’s air quality was the worst in the world, with the air quality index (AQI) at a “hazardous” 318, followed by Karachi at 267 which was “very unhealthy”.

As per the US AQI, a fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration of 60 micrograms per cubic meter in the air is “unhealthy” that can cause respiratory problems. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends an annual average of 10 for PM2.5.

“PM2.5 concentration in Lahore is currently 53.6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value,” said the website.

Medical experts have urged people to wear masks while going out as the smog crisis deepens in the province. Every day, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) issues update on its social media platforms to keep people informed about the road situation in view of the smog.

The winter vacation in Punjab is set to commence from December 18 (Monday) that would continue till January 1, 2024. In the recent past, the provincial government has closed educational institutions and partially shut down markets to fight smog.

The interim setup was considering to shut down schools on Wednesday with an aim to break the cycle of high air quality index level, however, it was not finalised.

“When we see the historic trend, our AQI level starts to increase on Monday and it rises to its maximum till Friday. It falls the next two days due to day offs. We thought that if AQI reaches a hazardous level then we will bring this day off on Wednesday to break its peak,” caretaker Minister of Planning and Development, Forrest Wildlife and Fisheries & Environmental Protection Bilal Afzal told a press conference on October 16, 2023.

Afzal had added that the transport contributed 45% to the smog, making it the biggest contributor to the pollution.

Last month, the government decided to install at least 12 “air filter ionization units” or smog towers in Lahore to mitigate the effects of smog.