An assessment by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI) did not establish Indian Diwali fireworks as the source of Lahore’s smog, NDTV reported, while satellite data also identified 16,714 likely crop-residue fires in Pakistan’s Punjab.
NDTV said the assessment cited fire detections between Oct. 1 and Nov. 9. It also put Lahore’s average PM2.5 concentration at eight times the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. PM2.5 refers to fine particles in the air that can penetrate deep into the lungs.
Swiss group IQAir’s ranking of major cities showed Lahore with an air quality index (AQI) reading of 590; a separate historical hourly entry recorded an AQI reading of 647.
Punjab Environment Protection Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said light winds had carried pollution from India after Diwali, NDTV reported. The outlet also recounted a 2024 dispute: Pakistan blamed crop-waste burning in Indian Punjab, while India’s weather department said airflow was moving from Pakistan into India.
EconoTimes previously covered New Delhi’s PM2.5 readings after Diwali.
