Given the deteriorating air quality in the city, Lahore officials are thinking of closing schools for three days in order to safeguard the health of the students.
The suggested strategy calls for closing schools on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays when smog levels hit dangerously high levels. In early November, environmental authorities will review the case and make a final decision.
Lahore is one of the most polluted cities in the world, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 208, according to the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Lahore is now ranked as the second most polluted city in the world and the most polluted city in Pakistan due to the declining quality of the air. The Punjab government has imposed a “green lockdown” in the city’s most impacted areas in response to this concerning circumstance.
The Environmental Protection Department has declared a lockdown that imposes a number of limitations, such as prohibiting construction and restricting the entry of autorickshaws into specific areas.
Additionally, after 8 p.m., outdoor barbecues and the use of commercial generators will be restricted in these high-pollution areas. Abbott Road, Empress Road, and the area around Queen Mary Road are among the places affected by the lockdown.
“Negligent and irresponsible officers” will face consequences from the government, Punjab PDMA Director General (DG) Irfan Ali Kathia said.
In a statement, DG Kathia directed the administration of the entire province to guarantee that the government’s smog prevention measures are carried out.
He emphasized that the government and the populace could eradicate smog together and promised that those who burn crop residues would face legal action.
The PDMA DG stated that a smog emergency was in effect and that the government would take tough measures against those who violated the law. “People should support the government in the war against environmental pollution,” he added.
“Hundreds and thousands of people cannot be harmed by the negligence of a few,” DG Kathia claimed.
Additionally, he warned that mission smog remediation would not cease under any circumstances and instructed the administration to launch a vigorous anti-smog awareness campaign.
Air quality experts have criticized the Punjab government’s announcement of a “green lockdown” in designated smog hotspots throughout Lahore yesterday, which places restrictions on marriage halls, motorcycle rickshaws, and barbecue joints.
Scholars and experts have questioned government data regarding the primary causes of smog, such as cars and stubble burning, claiming that smog could be seen in the Lahore area as early as June while driving on the M2 Motorway, raising questions about what causes summertime smog.
