The hazardous level of dense smog has broken records, engulfing Eastern Pakistan and Northern India since last month, as dramatically illustrated by satellite images.
Smog Visible from Space
Images from NASA’s Worldview show a massive gray smog cloud covering Pakistan’s Punjab province and extending eastward into India, through the capital city of New Delhi and beyond.
The pollution crisis in recent days has forced the Pakistani authorities to close schools and public spaces due to toxic smog threatening the health of tens of millions. Images from the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Multan last weekend revealed black fog blanketing the streets and obscuring views of buildings.
On November 13, toxic fog enveloping New Delhi, India worsened as temperatures dropped and seasonal winter fog appeared, reducing visibility in several areas. Consequently, New Delhi surpassed Lahore, becoming the most polluted city in the world according to the real-time rankings by IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring group, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score exceeding 1,000. The group classifies readings above 301 as “hazardous.”
The Punjab Province of Pakistan has ordered the closure of public areas in cities affected by smog. (Source: AFP).
Pollution in the region peaks every winter, when a worrying yellow fog covers the sky due to a combination of agricultural waste burning, coal-fired power plants, traffic, and days without wind. Air quality deteriorates further in winter, as colder, drier air traps pollution instead of dispersing it, as warmer air did when it rose.
While major cities in South Asia endure toxic smog annually, officials in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, have described this year’s smog season as unprecedented.
According to IQAir, the air quality index in some areas of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province with 127 million residents, has repeatedly exceeded 1,000 over the past week (with readings above 300 considered hazardous to health). Earlier this week, in Multan city of Punjab, PM2.5 fine particulate matter levels were over 110 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
When inhaled, PM2.5 penetrates deep into lung tissue, from where it can enter the bloodstream. It originates from sources such as fossil fuel combustion, dust storms, wildfires, and is linked to asthma, heart and lung diseases, cancer, and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cognitive decline in children.
Toward “Climate Diplomacy”
Last week, officials in Pakistan’s Punjab province drafted a letter to the Indian government to initiate a dialogue on this issue. Punjab’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Raja Jahangir Anwar, told CNN that it is necessary to consider “climate diplomacy as a regional and global issue.”
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency reported that hospitals and clinics in Pakistan are overwhelmed with patients suffering from pollution-related illnesses, with over 30,000 treated for respiratory conditions in districts affected by smog, such as Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala.
Schools and government offices have been ordered to close until November 17, including the provincial capital, Lahore. Last weekend, the Punjab provincial government closed all parks, playgrounds, museums, zoos, and historical sites in 18 districts for 10 days.
New restrictions on November 12 expanded the ban on all activities, including outdoor sports events, exhibitions, festivals, and outdoor dining at restaurants in four districts, including Lahore. Markets, shops, and shopping centers will close before 8 PM (local time), except for pharmacies, gas stations, and essential food and medical supply stores, according to the EPA.
EPA spokesperson Sajid Bashir stated that the new restrictions are designed to keep people at home and avoid unnecessary movements that could jeopardize health. Children are a particularly vulnerable group, as their bodies, organs, and immune systems are not fully developed.
Khuram Gondal, the Country Director of Save the Children Pakistan, noted that in addition to disrupting children’s education, air pollution and rising temperatures are leading to life-threatening risks, including breathing difficulties and a higher risk of infectious diseases. He urged the government to “urgently address air pollution” and find long-term solutions to this annual problem.
Scientists warn that the climate crisis will only exacerbate pollution as extreme temperatures become more severe and frequent. Climate change is altering weather patterns, leading to changes in winds and rainfall, which also affects the dispersion of pollutants.
A report released earlier this year revealed that the world consumed a record amount of oil, coal, and gas last year, pushing carbon pollution to a new high that heats the planet.
| Millions die each year due to health issues related to air pollution. According to a study published in the medical journal BMJ in November 2023, air pollution from fossil fuels kills 5.1 million people worldwide each year. Meanwhile, the WHO reported that 6.7 million people die annually due to the combined effects of outdoor and indoor air pollution. |
