PESHAWAR: On Monday morning, Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, experienced dangerously high levels of air pollution.
According to IQAir, a global air quality monitoring service, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Peshawar peaked at 551 at 10:30 AM, making it the third most polluted city in Pakistan at the time.
The concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that poses severe health risks, was recorded at 351 micrograms per cubic meter—over 70 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended annual air quality limit.
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Air pollution levels varied across different areas of the city, with some regions seeing even higher readings. In Yousufabad, the AQI surged to 784, while Hayatabad recorded 667, and Dalazak reached 509. Other parts of the city, including GT Road and the US Consulate, reported AQI levels of 320 and 332, respectively.
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To monitor the deteriorating air quality, five air quality monitoring stations have been set up throughout Peshawar.
Meanwhile, Multan topped the list as the most polluted city in the world with an AQI of 949, followed by Lahore, which ranked second in Pakistan with an AQI of 527, according to Swiss air quality monitors.
Delhi, India, which ranks second globally, recorded an AQI of 364.
