Toxic smog over Pakistan can now be seen from space

The thick and toxic smog hanging over Pakistan is visible from space, satellite imagery from Nasa confirmed, as recordbreaking levels of air pollution continued to endanger millions.

- ARPAN RAI

Pakistan's cultural capital Lahore and 17 other districts have been battling toxic smog for more than two weeks now, with the air quality index soaring past the 500 mark and indicating that conditions are “hazardous”. The city is the world’s most polluted in terms of air quality, according to Swiss group IQAir’s live ratings.

Satellite images captured by Nasa’s Worldview maps confirmed the grey haziness covering a massive swathe of land over Pakistan and extending southeast towards India’s New Delhi and Punjab.

According to Pakistan’s Environmental Protection Department in Punjab, Multan remained the most polluted city on Monday, with air quality index readings of about 800. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health. Live readings for Lahore showed that the city’s fine particulate air pollution, or PM2.5 concentration, was over 100 times the World Health Organisation’s annual air quality guideline, according to IQAir.

On Monday, Punjab province in Pakistan banned most outdoor activities, and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early in order to prevent illness. More than 40,000 people have been treated for respiratory ailments, health officials said.