The smog in Lahore has become one of the latest plights of the nation as of late, especially since its dangers have reached unprecedented levels this year. As per BBC, the air quality index rose to the 1000 point several times this past week. Just to put it into perspective, anything that crosses 300 is considered alarming.

Even celebrities have been pushed to speak out. "Dear Lahore, I just want to breathe. The smog is thick, suffocating, and I can feel it in every breath. For those of us with asthma, it's more than just discomfort. It's a struggle to live each moment. Please, clear skies, come back soon," Saba Qamar pleaded on Instagram Stories.

Actress Nadia Jamil also issued an urgent statement on her Instagram handle to raise awareness on the gravity of the issue. "You can live without food and water for a few days. You can survive without cars, roads, and buildings. We cannot survive for more than a few minutes without breathing. We cannot breathe effectively without clean air," she wrote. "People who cannot afford filters, people exposed to open air for 24 hours, are people exposed to the most toxic air on planet Earth today," she continued. Nadia further urged those with any educational expertise, the environmentalists, and clean energy experts "in our midst" to make use of all available resources and find urgent solutions.

As per BBC, schools have been shut down as part of a "green lockdown", which has reduced the traffic of vehicles on busy streets that can contribute to the rising toxicity levels in the air. The Lahore High Court has even imposed a curfew on commercial activity, ordering markets across the province to wrap up business by 8PM, additionally expecting a full closure on Sundays.