Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city and home to more than 10 million people unusually experiences a sudden elevated rise in air pollutants, which is a combination of urban air pollution, calm wind (mainly in the winter months) and penetration of polluted air causing visibly dense smog that is said to have worsened over the past five years.
According to this source a yearly average of 68 µg/m3 of PM2.5, which translates to 155 (Unhealthy) on the Air Quality Index.
Considering the smog situation engulfing Lahore and neighboring areas recently, Uber Pakistan partnered with AugmentCare last week to equip the people of Lahore with tools necessary in combating this health hazard.
A part of our approach to be one with the city we operate in, our goal was to improve navigation during the dense smog, while also keeping people, especially those working outdoors, from being excessively exposed.
For this cause, our driver partners in Lahore went about distributing free smog kits to Uber riders, so that they feel some relief during their daily commute. This was done through Uber’s application, where riders were asked to lodge a request for a smog kits.
Moreover, Uber’s team went around the city distributing free smog kits to outdoor workers from various walks of life, while also demonstrating the correct usage of the kit. This was highly appreciated by the people getting exposed to the toxic air. This also served as an awareness drive, helping people understand the severity of smog and it is a major health hazard.
Air pollution has emerged as a major health issue in the country causing almost 60,000 deaths because of the rising high levels of fine particulate matter in the air and Pakistan due to its air pollution is now listed as one of the deadliest places in the world according to a 2016 report by World Health Organization (WHO).
