Lahore's overall air quality index (AQI) has reached alarming levels, with the current AQI standing at 434, significantly exceeding the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety guidelines. The city's air contains 58.5 times more chemical substances than the recommended levels set by the WHO.

Pakistan ’s smog situation has gone from bad to worse as air pollution rose to a record in Lahore. Sensors tracked by the Swiss monitor IQAir recorded an air quality index of 1,300 in the country’s second-largest city at 5 p.m. local time, the highest this year and well beyond a level of 50 that is deemed safe.

Air pollution in India's capital Delhi has soared to extremely severe levels, choking residents and engulfing the city in thick smog. Monitors recorded pollution levels of 1,500 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 15:00 IST (09:30 BST),

Delhi's new action plan to combat rising pollution includes a ban on non-essential trucks, school closures, and remote work.

Delhi recorded air pollution more than 17 times above an acceptable level as worsening smog triggered curbs on trucking and shuttered construction sites and schools.

At least 18 zones in the national capital recorded an AQI of over 450, falling in the ‘severe plus ’ category, CPCB data showed