Pakistan Blames India’s Diwali Fireworks for Lahore’s Toxic Air

Pakistan has blamed pollution drifting from neighbouring India for the worsening air quality in Lahore following Diwali celebrations, when firecrackers were widely used across northern India. Lahore ranked as the world’s most polluted major city for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 263, classified as “very unhealthy” by IQAir. Levels of harmful PM2.5 particles were recorded at 37.2 times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline.

Punjab Environment Protection Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said light winds had carried pollutants from India into the region after the festival. However, she expected air quality to gradually improve as weather conditions changed and wind directions shifted. Delhi also ranked as the world’s second-most polluted major city, with an AQI of 188. Indian government data indicated that firecrackers contributed nearly 55% of the capital’s PM2.5 pollution a day after Diwali.

Apart from fireworks, vehicle emissions, construction dust and crop-waste burning remain major contributors to winter air pollution across both countries. Pakistan has previously blamed crop-residue burning in India’s Punjab for its pollution, while Indian officials have disputed such claims, citing wind patterns. Meanwhile, India’s Punjab government maintains that farm-fire incidents have declined compared with previous years, despite reports of a sharp increase in fires during the Diwali celebrations.

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