Roadmap for smog mitigation in Punjab 2024-2025

Press Release:

Islamabad: Punjab, home to 127.691 million people and contributing 52.87% of the national population and 54.2%2 of the national GDP, stands at the forefront of combating air pollution and smog.

From October to January, smog has become Punjab’s “fifth season”, with a thick layer of pollution blanketing urbanized and industrialized cities. Climate-induced weather patterns, with low wind speed, high relative humidity, and temperature inversion, have become significant drivers of the hazy conditions and smog in major cities of Punjab.

A considerable rise in minimum temperatures leads to a narrowed diurnal temperature range, which is indicative of increased aerosol concentrations. Spatial distribution of air quality pollutants observed through satellite revealed that main urban centers are more prone to air pollution. 

The rise in smog days, continuous degradation of air quality, insufficient air quality monitoring, and increasing cases of respiratory illnesses and deaths underscore the severity of the situation.

The expanding reach of smog and worsening air pollution in recent years have become a growing concern among the public. The persistent haze and deteriorating air quality are now recognized as major environmental and public health threats.

Punjab’s Sectoral Emission Inventory

The sectoral emission inventory of anthropogenic air pollutants in Punjab Province estimated the cumulative emission load in 2020 at 7,017 kilotons per year (kT/Y). Biomass and coal combustion are the primary sources of particulate matter, while liquid fuels are the major contributors to CO, SO2, and NOx emissions.

A cumulative emission inventory for Punjab from 1990 to 2020, evaluated at five-year intervals, reveals a significant upward trend in emissions, indicating worsening air pollution. The findings show that by 2020, emissions had surged to 3.5 times the levels recorded in 1990.

Emission Inventory of Lahore and Pollution Hotspots – AQI Lahore

Lahore, once renowned as the “City of Gardens” for its lush greenery and vibrant landscapes, is now grappling with a severe smog crisis that has transformed its skies into a grey, suffocating blanket. In recent years, air pollution in Lahore has reached alarming levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently surpassing hazardous limits, sometimes exceeding 300–400 AQI, far above the safe threshold of Punjab Environmental Quality Standards and those set by World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the 2023 census, Lahore’s population has surged to over 13 million, growing at an annual rate of 3.41%, further straining the city’s infrastructure and increasing vehicular and industrial emissions.