The World Bank has approved a $300 million (Rs84 billion) loan to Punjab to reduce air pollution.
“The World Bank has approved a concessional loan worth 300 million dollars under the International Development Association (IDA) to support the Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP),” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
This is expected to benefit Lahore for a very long time.
The initiative will be monitored by the Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP) and cut particulate matter (PM2.5) levels by 35 per cent over the next decade.
Punjab’s smog mitigation efforts come amid worsening air pollution, with PM2.5 levels in Lahore often exceeding 300-400 µg/m3. The World Bank emphasised that fine particulate pollution, mainly from transport, industry, and household cooking, poses severe health risks. The program will also promote regulatory reforms and public awareness campaigns.
Lahore’s 14 million residents spent six months breathing concentrations of PM2.5 — tiny particles that can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream — at levels 20 times or more than recommended by the World Health Organisation last year.
