Pakistan’s Punjab province has created a "smog war room" to deal with the growing pollution in Lahore. This is because the air quality in Lahore has become so bad that it has made the city the most polluted in the world. According to the Swiss group IQAir, Lahore's pollution index score is 1165. New Delhi, the capital of India, is the second most polluted city, with a score of 299.

The "smog war room" will be a main centre to manage the pollution problem. It will check the weather and air quality forecasts every day and watch what actions the field officers are taking. Sajid Bashir, a spokesperson for the environment department, said the committee will coordinate different departments to control pollution, like stopping the burning of farm waste and managing traffic. They will meet twice a day to study the data, update people involved, and give daily advice to the public.

Severe pollution causes school closures and work-from-home orders

Lahore's air quality got a little better from last week when the pollution level reached a record high of 1900, which was more than 120 times higher than the safe level. However, it is still very dangerous. Because of this, primary schools were closed, and people were told to work from home. At that time, Punjab’s senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said the toxic air was caused by pollution blowing over from India, which is only 25 km away. Northern India is also dealing with very high pollution levels.

In winter, South Asia often experiences very high pollution because the cold air traps smoke, dust, and emissions from farm fires. A study from last year showed that this pollution could shorten people's life expectancy by more than five years. To tackle this problem, the environment minister in New Delhi said they are looking into using artificial rain to help reduce the pollution this year.