Pakistan: Karachi becomes seventh most polluted city in world

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 17 : Amid unhygienic air quality, Karachi has become the seventh most polluted city in the world, ARY News reported on Sunday.
The Air Quality Index showed that Karachi's air pollution level is 163 PM (Particulate matter), which is unhealthy for the city's residents.
Health experts had already called Karachi's air quality "very unhealthy" and recommended residents to limit their time outside, particularly during the hours when pollution is at its worst, according to ARY News.
It should be noted that an AQI level of 151-200 is deemed unhealthy, while readings between 201 and 300 are more detrimental and readings beyond 300 are exceedingly dangerous.
According to the experts, in the wintertime air gets heavier, which pushes harmful particles lower in the atmosphere and contaminates it. Consequently, a region becomes covered in a layer of contaminated particles, which include a lot of carbon and smoke.
Citing the specialists, ARY News reported that the smoke from industries, burning coal, trash, oil, or tyres penetrates the atmosphere and has an effect that lasts from the beginning of winter until the end of the season.
Although southwestern winds blowing from the sea in Karachi, work as a filter for the air, these winds remain mostly suspended during the winter, experts said.