Toxic smog has reached a 'new level'

The record-breaking levels of toxic smog that have blanketed eastern Pakistan and northern India since last month can be seen dramatically in satellite images.

Smoke seen from space

NASA Worldview satellite images show a giant grey cloud of smog covering Pakistan's Punjab province and stretching east into India, over the capital New Delhi and beyond.

Pollution in recent days has forced Pakistani authorities to close schools and public spaces as toxic smog threatens the health of tens of millions of people. Images from the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Multan over the weekend showed black smog blanketing streets and obscuring the view of buildings.

The toxic smog that shrouded New Delhi, India, worsened on November 13 as temperatures dropped and seasonal winter fog set in, reducing visibility in some areas. New Delhi, India, has overtaken Lahore, Pakistan, to become the world's most polluted city, according to a live ranking by the IQAir group - a Swiss global air quality monitoring unit - with an air quality index (AQI) score of more than 1,000. The group classifies indices above 301 as "hazardous".

Pakistan's Punjab province has ordered the closure of public areas in smog-stricken cities. (Source: AFP).

Pollution in the region spikes every winter , when a disturbing yellow haze covers the sky due to a combination of farmers burning agricultural waste, coal-fired power plants, traffic and windless days. Air quality gets worse in winter because colder, drier air traps pollution, rather than carrying it away, as warm air does when it rises.

While major cities in South Asia are plagued by toxic smog every year, officials in Pakistan's second-largest city, Lahore, have described this year's toxic smog season as unprecedented.

According to IQAir, the air quality index in some areas of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province with 127 million people, has exceeded 1,000 multiple times in the past week (a reading above 300 is considered hazardous to health). Earlier this week, in the Punjab city of Multan, PM2.5 levels were 110 times higher than the safe level set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

When inhaled, PM2.5 penetrates deep into lung tissue, where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources such as fossil fuel combustion, dust storms, and wildfires, and has been linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cognitive impairment in children.

Towards 'climate diplomacy'

Last week, officials in Pakistan's Punjab state drafted a letter to the Indian government to open a dialogue on the issue. Punjab Environment and Climate Change Minister Raja Jahangir Anwar told CNN that there is a need to look at "climate diplomacy, as a regional and global issue."

Pakistan's hospitals and clinics have been overwhelmed with patients suffering from pollution-related illnesses, with more than 30,000 people treated for respiratory ailments in smog-affected districts such as Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency said.

Schools and government offices have been ordered closed until November 17, including in the provincial capital Lahore. Last weekend, the Punjab provincial government closed all parks, playgrounds, museums, zoos and historical sites in 18 districts for 10 days.

The new restrictions on November 12 extended the ban to all activities including outdoor sports events, exhibitions, festivals and outdoor dining at restaurants in four districts including Lahore. Markets, shops and malls will be closed by 8 p.m. local time, except for pharmacies, petrol stations and essential food and medical stores, according to the environmental protection agency EPA.

EPA spokesman Sajid Bashir said the new restrictions are designed to keep people at home and avoid unnecessary travel that could put their health at risk. Children are particularly at risk because their bodies, organs and immune systems are not yet fully developed.

In addition to disrupting children's education, air pollution and higher temperatures are leading to life-threatening risks for children, including breathing difficulties and increased risk of infectious diseases, said Khuram Gondal, country director of Save the Children Pakistan. Gondal called on the government to 'urgently address air pollution' and find a long-term solution to the perennial problem.

The climate crisis will only make pollution worse as extreme heat becomes more severe and more frequent, scientists say . Climate change is altering weather patterns, leading to changes in winds and rainfall, which also affect the dispersion of pollutants.

The world consumed a record amount of oil, coal and gas last year, pushing planet-warming carbon pollution to new highs, a report released earlier this year found.

Millions of people die each year from health problems related to air pollution. According to a study published in the medical journal BMJ in November 2023, air pollution from fossil fuels is killing 5.1 million people worldwide each year. Meanwhile, the WHO says 6.7 million people die each year from the combined effects of ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution.