Lahore [Pakistan], November 16 (ANI): Poor air quality has made Lahore the second most polluted city in the world with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 396 on Saturday, ARY News reported.

Citing reports, Ary News mentioned that the air quality in various parts of Pakistan's Punjab remains extremely hazardous.

It further reported that Faisalabad remained the most polluted city in Pakistan, with a reading of 571 on the air quality index, while Gujranwala remained second in the country with a level of 570 of particulate matter. Lahore's air quality reading remained 396, while Multan's AQI reading counted 257 on the index.

Last year, air pollution and smog haunted Pakistan's Punjab with the onset of winter. Authorities made desperate efforts to contain smog in cities. The province grappled with severe air pollution, which soared to alarming levels, causing serious public health issues.

For days, Lahore was engulfed in smog, a mix of fog and pollutants, caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning as temperatures drop with cooling air. The air pollution level in Lahore once soared to more than 80 times of the level deemed hygienic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ary News reported that the government closed schools and restricted timing of eateries, other businesses and markets to save general public from the adverse impact of toxic pollution and health problems.

Previously, Dawn reported that many other urban centres also registered AQI readings above 300, as authorities warned residents to limit outdoor exposure, keep windows closed, wear masks outdoors and use air purifiers indoors.

In a report, the Human Rights Watch had mentioned that the destruction of green spaces in Lahore, replacement of agricultural land with concrete structures, crop burning, and lack of a viable public transport system have also contributed to worsening air pollution over the years. Burning fossil fuels for transportation, heating fuel, waste incineration, electricity generation, and other industrial activities is responsible for increasing levels of air pollution. (ANI)