| 168 | Unhealthy on Saturday, Mar 14th 2026, 12:00 pm |  |
Cities with the worst air quality
| # | AQI | City |
|---|---|---|
259 | ||
180 | ||
178 | ||
169 | ||
167 | ||
167 | ||
166 | ||
166 | ||
165 | ||
165 | ||
165 | ||
150 |
Cities with the best air quality
| # | AQI | City |
|---|---|---|
3 | ||
34 | ||
80 | ||
95 | ||
105 | ||
106 | ||
111 | ||
112 | ||
117 | ||
118 | ||
124 | ||
137 |
Good | Moderate | Unhealthy for sensitive groups | Unhealthy | Very Unhealthy | Hazardous |
Please note that Air Quality monitoring is now available for 4 cities in Pakistan:
Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar
According to the most recent World Health Organization data, there are some good reasons to be worried about the air quality in Lahore, with an yearly average of 68 µg/m3 of PM2.5, which corresponds to a 155 - Unhealthy Air Quality Index
Obviously, 165 - Unhealthy is just a yearly average, and the air pollution can reach much higher 300+ hazardous levels- just like the recent smog events in early November 2016.
Unfortunately, there is currently no known Air Quality monitoring network with PM2.5 data available in Lahore, nor in Pakistan (source).
Quote from from epd.punjab.gov.pk/air_pollution:
According to a recent study, average air pollution in big cities is about 4 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) limits.
Main Causes Effects
- Vehicular emissions
- Industrial emissions
- Dust fall
- Respiratory diseases and eye irritation etc.
- Reduced visibility
- Loss of vegetation
- Damage to material, heritage and monuments
- Effects on growth of plants
Remedies
- Always keep your vehicle in good condition
- Prefer 4 stroke engine vehicles
- Use CNG as transport fuel
- Limit the industrial effluents as per National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS)
- Do not establish industrial units within the residential areas
- Apply 3R formula i.e. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Plant as many trees as possible
If you want to stay informed about the Air Quality monitoring project, please register with the form below:
Our GAIA air quality monitors are very easy to set up: You only need a WIFI access point and a USB compatible power supply.
Once connected, your real time air pollution levels are instantaneously available on the maps and through the API.
The station comes with a 10-meter water-proof power cable, a USB power supply, mounting equipment and an optional solar panel.
| | |
| or let us find your nearest air quality monitoring station |
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🇦🇸 American Samoa 🇦🇺 AustraliaSouth America
🇦🇷 Argentine Republic| AQI | Air Pollution Level | Health Implications | Cautionary Statement (for PM2.5) |
| 0 - 50 | Good | Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk | None |
| 51 -100 | Moderate | Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. | Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. |
| 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. | Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. |
| 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects | Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion |
| 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. | Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion. |
| 300+ | Hazardous | Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects | Everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion |
| Celsius | |
