Urban Unit of the Planning and Development Department of Punjab highlighted in its research that the transport industry is responsible for more than 80% of Lahore’s pollution.
The report titled Sectoral emission inventory of Lahore, is the first attempt at measuring air pollutants from human activity at the district level in the Punjab province’s six developmental sectors.
The main sources of pollution in Lahore, per the report, are transportation (which generates 83% of emissions), industry, agriculture, open waste burning, and inefficient fuel use in home and commercial sectors.
“The number of registered vehicles in Lahore has increased alarmingly, especially two-stroke vehicles like motorbikes, scooters, and auto-rickshaws.”
As a result of anecdotal evidence suggesting that the majority of vehicles in Punjab province are registered in Lahore, the report admitted that the vehicle counts may be overstated.
Crop residue burning produces 3.9%, while rubbish burning—a practise that is popular in Lahore’s suburbs—contributes 3.6%.
The report also states that the usage of inefficient fuels like coal and diesel oil is principally responsible for the industrial (9%), domestic (0.11%), and commercial (0.14%) sectors’ emissions.
