Lahore’s air quality has significantly declined, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) peaking at 520 and averaging 198 on Tuesday.

Due to severe smog and deteriorating air quality, authorities have enacted multiple measures to tackle the health risks. Among these is a directive requiring all citizens in Lahore to wear masks.

With AQI levels at a critical high, Punjab’s Chief Minister has ordered all departments to rigorously enforce environmental laws. In response, wearing masks has now been made mandatory for the public.

To address the smog, officials have taken strict actions, grounding around 2,500 vehicles with excessive emissions, sealing 469 factories, and dismantling multiple brick kilns.

Furthermore, 318 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed against those burning straw and crop residues, leading to several arrests of offenders.

Maryam Aurangzeb has called on the public to help reduce environmental pollution and cooperate in addressing the smog that is partly due to airflows from India. She highlighted that wind patterns from India greatly influence Lahore’s air quality.

Aurangzeb confirmed that vehicles emitting black smoke will be taken off the roads, chimneys in Lahore will remain closed, and those caught burning crop residues will face legal consequences. An emergency traffic plan is also being implemented to help reduce smog levels.

Raja Jahangir Anwar, Secretary of the Environment Protection Department, remarked that Lahore’s AQI has again reached critical levels due to polluted winds blowing in from the east. Research institutions report that these winds are currently moving towards Lahore at approximately one kilometer per hour.

He also noted that Lahore residents have actively supported anti-smog efforts over the past ten days, leading to a reduction in waste burning and emissions from vehicles.