Lahore named most polluted city in world

The Pakistani city of Lahore has been named the most polluted city in the world, according to a report by The Associated Press.

According to Swiss air monitoring company IQAir, Lahore has an air quality index of 203 on the US AQI scale.

Delhi, India, follows Lahore with an air quality index score of 183, as the two traded places with one another during the course of the morning, according to the AP.

Dhaka, Bangladesh, came in third with an index score of 169, and Kolkata, India, came in fourth with a score of 168, according to IQAir. 

This comes as Lahore, once dubbed as the city of gardens, faces current problems as intense urbanization and growing population has left little to no room for greenery in the city.

Lahore residents also were sickened with respiratory and other illnesses due to the increased smog and particle-laden air, the AP reported. 

Local medical officials have advised residents to start wearing face masks when outside to avoid respiratory-related diseases.

Lahore is Pakistan’s second-largest city behind the capital of Karachi, the AP noted.