The 2024 India–Pakistan smog is a severe record-breaking air pollution event that affected Eastern and Northern Pakistan and North India in November 2024, primarily in the Pakistani city of Lahore and Indian city of Delhi. The smog resulted in the overwhelming of the Pakistani healthcare system due to respiratory disease and throat and eye irritations, leading to widespread school closures and restrictions on public activities particularly in Pakistan's Punjab region.
Background
In Pakistan, severe and hazardous air pollution emerges annually during winter months due to multiple contributing factors, including agricultural waste burning, emissions from coal-powered facilities, vehicular traffic, and seasonal weather patterns. In the Punjab region, winter's colder, drier air masses trap pollutants close to the ground, unlike warmer air which typically disperses contamination upward.[1] Historian Ammar Ali Jan stated that rapid urbanization with insufficient environmental regulation significantly contributed to the prior intensification of pollution during Winter months.[2]
Smog
The air pollution generated in November 2024 in India and Pakistan was regarded by climate researchers as an unprecedented intensification of the region's annual pollution cycle.[2]NASAsatellite imaging showed a continuous cloud of smog that extended across the majority of eastern and northern Pakistan, as well as northwestern India.[3][4]
Pakistan
In Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, air quality index (AQI) readings exceeded 1,200—four times the threshold considered hazardous to human health (300), momentarily rendering it the world's most polluted city on 7 November. Throughout Punjab province, with its population of 127 million, air quality indices frequently surpassed 1,000. In Multan, levels of PM2.5, regarded by health experts as the most dangerous microscopic pollutant, reached concentrations of 947 μg per cubic metre on 8 November, nearly 190 times the World Health Organization's safety guidelines.[1][5][6] On the same day, Multan documented unprecedented AQI readings that reached 2,553.[5]
India
Pollution in Delhi reached drastic levels following Diwali celebrations, when illegal firecracker use temporarily pushed the city's pollution levels above Lahore's during the morning of 8 November. A local community health clinic reported that approximately 60% of patients presented with pollution-related illnesses, with children and elderly individuals particularly affected.[2] Delhi again became one of the most polluted cities in the world on 18 November, reaching an AQI reading of 1,500.[3][7]
Impact
The smog created severe health consequences across the region. The pollution surge overwhelmed Pakistan's healthcare system, with more than 30,000 patients seeking treatment for respiratory ailments in affected districts. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency reported unprecedented increases in cases of lung diseases, allergies, and eye and throat irritations in multiple districts including Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala.[1] By 12 November, 1.8 million people in Punjab province were estimated to have suffered respiratory or eye irritation-related health consequences due to the smog.[8]
Children were especially vulnerable to health compilations during the crisis. UNICEF reported that over 11 million children under age five were exposed to hazardous air conditions in the worst-affected areas. Health experts emphasized children's heightened susceptibility due to their developing organs and immune systems, which could result in long-term detrimental health impacts. Save the Children Pakistan noted that beyond immediate health risks, the crisis disrupted education and increased children's vulnerability to infectious diseases.[1]
The smog also impacted households with lower socioeconomic standings disproportionally due to the prohibitive cost of air purifiers necessary to mitigate indoor air pollution.[9] Historian Ammar Ali Jan referred to the impact of the smog as "a form of environmental apartheid".[2] Several Lahore residents described the city as having become "unlivable" due to the intense smog.[2] Three deaths from vehicle accidents were attributed to the smog in Faisalabad.[10]
Response
In November 2024, the Pakistani government implemented several restrictions in order to limit the impact of the smog civilian health. Schools and government offices were shut down until November 17, while parks, zoos, museums, and historical sites in 18 impacted districts were closed for 10 days. In addition, the government implemented restrictions on outdoor activities including sports events and outdoor dining in four districts, which included Lahore, while early closure requirements were implemented for markets and shops, excepting services deemed essential such as gas stations, pharmacies, and certain food and medical stores. Certain high-smog devices were temporarily banned, including unfiltered barbeques at restaurants and auto rickshaws.[9]
The smog prompted Punjab officials to attempt to initiate dialogue with the Indian government regarding collaborative solutions in a letter.[1]Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, proposed "smog diplomacy" between India and Pakistan, stating that "air doesn't recognize borders."[2]
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