Air pollution has reached a critical stage in Punjab cities, triggering an alarming air crisis and profoundly affecting urban life, especially in Lahore, where the Air Quality Index (AQI 678) recorded at the Civil Secretariat placed the city at the top of the world’s most polluted list.

This severe environmental disaster—with the concentration of harmful PM2.5 particles reportedly 20 times higher than the WHO limit—has led medical experts to issue an urgent cautionary directive, warning that children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions are at high risk of developing respiratory, liver, and heart diseases. While other major cities like Faisalabad (AQI 471) are also severely impacted, the Punjab government has announced plans to increase monitoring stations and initiate air-cleansing measures soon, urging citizens to limit outdoor exposure and wear protective masks.