Romesa Umar

ISLAMABAD: A severe winter smog wave blanketing major Pakistani cities has pushed air quality into the hazardous range, sparking a surge in demand for home air purifiers as families try to protect themselves from toxic particulate pollution. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that this year&rsquo;s smog should be treated as a &ldquo;public health threat,&rdquo; urging households to adopt indoor air-filtration measures as part of a layered protection strategy. The National Institute of Health has cautioned that hazardous smog spells will continue across eastern Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan. Indoor filtration gains urgencyPakistan&rsquo;s recurring winter smog is driven by extreme concentrations of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5. Pollution particularly harmful to children, older adults, and people with respiratory conditions. Health experts note that high-grade air purifiers equipped with True HEPA H13 or H14 filters can remove 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, effectively capturing the pollutants dominating the seasonal haze. Units with activated carbon filters also help absorb gases and volatile organic compounds emitted from traffic and industry. In its 2025 advisory, the NDMA recommended using air purifiers in frequently occupied rooms, sealing windows, avoiding non-essential travel, and wearing N95 or KN95 masks outdoors. For many families, the difference indoors is immediate. Ayesha Ali, a Lahore resident and asthma patient, said she relies on filtration technology to safeguard her household. &ldquo;I use Xiaomi, it&rsquo;s better than Philips in many ways because of the micro pollutants it absorbs,&rdquo; she told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;The HEPA filter and price make it the best for a bedroom.&rdquo; She added that filter duration depends on use: &ldquo;Generally it is six months, but mine has stayed longer than that. I check it through my in-app status.&rdquo; The NDMA also suggested a low-cost alternative: natural air-purifying indoor plants, such as snake plants or spider plants, to improve indoor air quality. While not a replacement for HEPA filtration, they provide additional relief for families unable to afford high-end purifiers. Understanding HEPA complianceHEPA compliance requires a filter to meet a legally defined standard for high-efficiency particulate air filtration. A true HEPA filter must remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns, the Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS), considered the hardest for filters to trap. HEPA filters often perform even better at capturing particles both larger and smaller than this threshold due to diffusion and interception mechanisms. Cost pressures widen the market divideDespite growing demand, affordability remains a significant barrier. Effective HEPA H13 models often start at Rs45,000 ($159), putting them out of reach for many low-income families. Since a single purifier typically covers only one room, larger households face steep cumulative costs. Local manufacturers, including Royal Fans, GFC, Canon, and ZebSol, offer HEPA-compliant devices priced between Rs35,000 ($124) and Rs70,000 ($248). International brands such as Philips, Xiaomi, and Dyson range from Rs37,000 ($131) for basic units to Rs275,000 ($973) for high-end models. Maintenance adds another layer of cost. Most HEPA filters need replacement every six to twelve months, at Rs15,000&ndash;Rs30,000 ($53&ndash;$106). Heavier pollution in cities like Lahore and Islamabad accelerates filter clogging, pushing annual upkeep to Rs12,000&ndash;Rs30,000 ($42&ndash;$106). Umman Waseem, a Lahore resident, said performance concerns often steer buyers toward international brands. &ldquo;We had to save up and order a Dyson air purifier from my wife&rsquo;s friend who was travelling back from the UK because I wasn&rsquo;t satisfied with the local alternatives available,&rdquo; he said. Public awareness growsThe worsening smog has increased public attention on indoor air quality, particularly among parents and those with chronic respiratory illnesses. Government advisories emphasize indoor precautions, outdoor protective measures, and long-term initiatives such as emissions control, stronger air-quality monitoring, and seasonal preparedness. For many urban households, air purifiers have shifted from discretionary luxuries to essential equipment. A cost increasingly viewed as unavoidable during Pakistan&rsquo;s peak smog season.<figure class="fr-media"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic"> </figcaption></figure>

File Photo: Smog seen in Lahore (Associated Press of Pakistan)

Health

A severe winter smog wave blanketing major Pakistani cities has pushed air quality into the hazardous range, sparking a surge in demand for home air purifiers as families try to protect themselves from toxic particulate pollution.

Smog crisis drives indoor air purifier demand across Pakistan

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;High pollution levels and smog in Pakistan&rsquo;s Punjab province during the winter months have become a continuing challenge for the administration in the last decade. Over the years, Punjab has implemented a comprehensive provincial framework, including specialized agencies and programs such as the Punjab Clean Air Program, to combat smog and improve air quality. There are several organizations under the Punjab government responsible for ensuring the environment remains clean.&nbsp;These include the following: Environment Protection &amp; Climate Change Department, Government of Punjab (EP&amp;CCD Punjab)According to the provincial department&rsquo;s website, the &ldquo;Environment Protection Department, Punjab created Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is responsible for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment; the prevention and control of pollution and promotion of sustainable development in the province.&rdquo;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/0ef7d3c2-3452-4209-a33e-922daf0a9a1d-Lahore 1.jpg" alt="Lahore 1.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">LAHORE: People visit a park amid dense smog in Lahore on October 28, 2025. -- Photo by AFP</figcaption></figure> &ldquo;EPA sustains qualitative and quantitative standards for the discharge of effluents, wastes, air emissions or noise either for general applicability or for a particular area or from a particular source in the form of Punjab Environmental Quality Standards (PEQS) and other standards established under the laws, rules and regulations,&rdquo; according to its website. The sections working under the department include: a complaint cell, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), environmental laboratories, and a Directorate of Environmental Health, Dengue Control, and Hazardous Waste. Other separate sections within the department include implementation, legal aspects, research and investigation, and technology transfer. Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP)The Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP) is a flagship initiative by the Government of Punjab, supported by the World Bank.<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/affb0a35-c344-47c8-ad4e-14b5c8067326-Lahore 2.jpg" alt="Lahore 2.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">LAHORE: A man exercises in a park amid dense smog in Lahore on October 29, 2025. -- Photo by AFP</figcaption></figure> According to the program&#39;s website, &quot;It aims to reduce ambient air pollution &mdash; especially PM2.5 &mdash; by addressing emission sources in the transport, agriculture, and industrial sectors. PCAP also includes behavioral change programs, capacity building, and regulatory reforms aligned with national climate and environmental strategies.&quot; The objectives of the program, which runs from April 2025 to June 2030, include: strengthening air quality management (AQM), reducing PM2.5 exposure in Lahore Division, implementing sustainable transport and agricultural practices, and empowering citizens through awareness and behavior change. The executing agencies of the program are the Planning and Development Board, Punjab, and the Transport and Mass Transit Department. Transport and Mass Transit Department&nbsp;According to its website, the department&#39;s mission is to ensure &ldquo;safe, affordable, and environment-friendly transport for the people of Punjab.&rdquo; Some of the initiatives of the department that are in progress include: Punjab Green Development Program (PGDP), Chief Minister&rsquo;s Interest Free Electric-Taxi scheme, Air Punjab, Induction of Eco-Friendly Buses in Cities of Punjab (DLI-6 PGDP), Third Party Monitoring of Vehicle Inspection and Certification System, and Procurement of Portable Automobile Emission Analyzer Devices for On-field Checking of Smoke Emitting Vehicles in Punjab.&nbsp; Establishment of Vehicles Testing Lab (PRSA), Development of Urban Bus Depot and Allied Infrastructure for Electric Buses in Lahore under the Punjab Clean Air Program (P-CAP) by the World Bank, and Feasibility and Seed Money for the Establishment of Air Punjab are also in progress. Other initiatives of the department focus on reducing pollution levels, including the Induction of eco-friendly buses in Rajanpur, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur divisions.&nbsp;

Climate & Environment

Over the years, Punjab has implemented a comprehensive provincial framework, including specialized agencies and programs such as the Punjab Clean Air Program, to combat smog and improve air quality.

Pakistan's Punjab strengthens multi-tier framework to curb smog and pollution

KHANEWAL: Most of the 2.6 million people displaced by record floods in Pakistan&rsquo;s Punjab province have returned home to find their houses damaged and their crops destroyed, as authorities promised Thursday to compensate all victims.&nbsp;Flooding triggered by heavy monsoon rains and water from overflowing dams in India since August has damaged 2.5 million acres of farmland and killed 118 people, according to Punjab relief commissioner, Nabil Javed.&nbsp;In a statement, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority said August brought the province&rsquo;s worst flooding on record.&nbsp;Displaced families are returning now that the water is receding, he said, adding said authorities will begin a survey next week to assess damage to crops, homes and infrastructure in Punjab.&nbsp;Many survivors said they learned about their losses only upon returning to the flood-hit villages. In Qatalpur village in Punjab, 45-year-old Mohammad Mohsin broke down after returning from a relief camp with his family. His house is still standing, but is riddled with cracks.&nbsp;&ldquo;The flood destroyed us, our crops are gone,&rdquo; he told The Associated Press. &ldquo;We survived the waters, but I fear one day the roof will fall on us. My house needs urgent repair, but so far we have received no government aid.&quot;&nbsp;In the same village, Parveen Bibi, 39, showed the remains of her broken home where she now sleeps with her children.&nbsp;&ldquo;During the flood, we stayed on the riverbank and got food from the government,&rdquo; she said. Bibi said so far, no official has visited to assess their losses.&nbsp;Along a roadside in Khanewal district in Punjab, Sajjad Hussain, 52, said he spent a week under the open sky with his family after his village was submerged earlier this month.&nbsp;&ldquo;Now that the water has gone, I am going back,&rdquo; the farmer said. &ldquo;Even if the government only gives me a tent, I will thank God.&quot;&nbsp;The swelling of the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers in recent weeks was &ldquo;unprecedented,&rdquo; said Irfan Ali Kathia, the authority&rsquo;s director general. &ldquo;Water has receded in most areas,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Kathia said the waters are now moving south toward Sindh province.&nbsp;Pakistan witnessed its most devastating monsoon season in 2022 when floods killed 1,739 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage.

2.6 million people displaced by recent floods in Pakistan’s Punjab province are returning to find their houses damaged

Articles tagged with "Punjab"

Smog crisis drives indoor air purifier demand across Pakistan

Pakistan's Punjab strengthens multi-tier framework to curb smog and pollution

Pakistanis displaced by flooding in Punjab return to find homes and crops destroyed