Karachi becomes the second and Lahore third most polluted cities of the world today as pollution on the rise in two largest cities of Pakistan ahead of coming winter. Indian capital New Delhi was on the top of the world’s most polluted cities’ list. Karachi has 198 reading on the Air Quality Index, while Lahore has 192 AQI reading. India’s Delhi has 252 AQI reading. It is to be mentioned here that AQI as high as 151-200 is considered unhealthy, while an AQI reading between 201 to 300 is more harmful and AQI reading above 300 mark is extremely hazardous.

According to experts, the air becomes heavier in the winter, causing poisonous particles in the atmosphere to move downwards and making the atmosphere polluted. As a result, a layer of polluted particles, including large amounts of carbon and smoke, covers an area. The smoke produced by factories or by burning coal, garbage, oil or tyres, enters the atmosphere and its impact appears at the onset of the winter and remains till the end of the season, experts said. Although southwestern winds blowing from the sea in Karachi, work as a filter for the air, these winds remain mostly suspended during the winter.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan