Lahore: Smog returned to Lahore today, with the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 329 and placing it first on the global list of the most polluted cities
Cold winter air traps emissions from vehicles, industry and crop residue burning, and Lahore has been at or near the top of global rankings in recent winters.
Air purifiers boomed during the heavy smog of 2023 and 2024, but retailers now report mixed demand.
Naeem, manager of Siddique Electronics, told News Lens Pakistan he sells two to three units a week. “ In 2023 the demand was high because the smog wave was heavy and people were scared. That is why the purchases were impulsive,” he said.
Aneel of White House, who sold thousands of units in 2023 and 2024, said long-lasting, washable and replaceable filters have reduced demand. He added that the Punjab government’s precautionary measures have also helped.
Ali Kashif of Selectronics reported the opposite. “ Demand is increasing day by day. I am selling 10 to 12 units per day”, he said.
Dr Shabahat told News Lens Pakistan that “an air purifier alone cannot combat severe smog. Purifiers can help indoors, but they don’t fix the air outside.”
Dr. Hassan Siddique, a climate communications expert who has worked with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank on climate projects with the Government of Punjab, said severe smog results from high emissions combined with unfavorable atmospheric conditions.
“Between November and February, temperature inversions, weak winds and reduced atmospheric mixing trap PM2.5 near the ground, he said.
Lahore also lies in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, receiving pollution from surrounding agricultural and industrial areas, and unlike coastal Karachi it lacks direct maritime ventilation.
He cited a 2025 World Bank estimate that residential sources contribute 28 percent and transport 24 percent of Greater Lahore’s PM2.5. Punjab-wide modelling attributes 53 percent of pollution to sources within Punjab, 9 percent to other provinces and 13 percent foreign sources. Crop burning intensifies October and November smog, but its share varies with weather and cannot be fixed at one percentage, he said.
Urbanization is adding to the problem. A 2021 study in Urban climate found build-up land in the study area rose from 22.99 percent to 47.17 percent between 2000 and 2020, and Punjab Excise records show 7.48 million registered vehicles in Lahore as of September 2024. “ Tress alone cannot resolve PM2.5 pollution, “Dr. Siddique said.
