Once familiar visitors to Pakistan’s sandy shores, Olive Ridley sea turtles have all but vanished from the country’s recorded nesting grounds. Now, the discovery of a dead turtle on Clifton Beach has brought an old ecological mystery into focus: if these turtles still inhabit the Arabian Sea, where have the breeding females gone? The turtle’s death has no confirmed explanation. It may have become entangled in a fishing net, collided with a vessel or fallen victim to marine pollution. But its appearance on Karachi’s shoreline has renewed concern over a far bigger disappearance - the collapse of Olive Ridley nesting along Pakistan’s coast. According to WWF-Pakistan technical adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan, these turtles were once found in significant numbers at Sandspit, Hawke’s Bay, Manora, Sonmiani Beach and other coastal locations. Historical research cited by experts recorded more than 500 Olive Ridley nests along Karachi’s beaches durin...
Lahore ranked second among the world's most polluted major cities on IQAir's live air quality tracker on Monday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 199, as pollution remained a concern across Punjab ahead of the peak winter smog season. The city's position and pollution reading fluctuated during the day. IQAir's Lahore city page recorded an AQI of 139 at 3pm on October 26, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) identified as the main pollutant at 51 micrograms per cubic metre. The reading placed Lahore in the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category on the US AQI scale. The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring data also showed considerable variation in air quality across the province. Pakpattan recorded an AQI of 210, followed by Multan at 204 and Sargodha at 195. Vehari registered 178, Kot Addu 176, Dera Ghazi Khan 165 and Khushab 160. PUNJAB AQI UPDATE 26 OCTOBER Average AQI: 144 (Moderate) Highest : D.G. Khan 213 Lowest: Talla Ganag 96...