For the first time in two weeks, the air quality in Pakistan’s second-largest city, Lahore, was no longer at the level considered “hazardous” for humans, but it still remained at the “very unhealthy” threshold on November 17, according to the Swiss-based firm IQAir. An unprecedented level of air pollution in Lahore – a city of more than 14 million people – on November 3 forced authorities to take emergency measures, including the closing of primary schools and the issuance of work-from-home orders. School closures were extended to November 24. The AQI index was listed at 243, rated "very unhealthy" but below the previous 300 level, which is considered "hazardous." Local officials described the continuing air-quality crisis as a “calamity.
Lahore Residents Get Air-Quality Breather, But Only Slightly
A bus travels the streets of Lahore on November 16 amid the city's air-quality crisis.