Punjab shuts schools in all but 5 dists

Smog situation persists across urban centres

LAHORE:

Toxic smog forced the Punjab government to extend school closures to 36 districts for five days and encouraged them to go for online classes instead and reduced attendance by half at all government offices on Tuesday.

According to latest data, the air quality index continued to stay above 500 level in Lahore and most districts of the province. The latest measures come a day after the provincial government banned most outdoor activities and imposed restrictions on the retail sector across four districts.

The authorities announced closure of all education institutions, including private institutions, till November 17 and the shifting of academic activities to online medium, according to a notification issued by the Punjab Schools Education Department.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Sakander Hayat said that complaints had been received that students were suffering due to the smog and air pollution. "We took this tough decision after assessing the air pollution situation. We closed institutions just for the safety of students," the minister added.

"It is also the public's responsibility to cooperate with us in this situation. We are working to minimize the impact on educational activities through an online system and will soon develop a strategy to address the issue," Rana added.

Sources in the Punjab School Education Department said that the government could extend school closures beyond November 17 if the air quality did not improve. However, they added, negotiations in this regard were continuing.

According to the sources, the Punjab government was also planning to close all colleges and universities in Lahore and other districts. In this regard, they said the Punjab Higher Education Department was awaiting instructions from the Chief Minister Secretariat.

Meanwhile, the Environment Protection Agency issued a separate notification stating that schools in Murree district would remain open, as the hill resort is unaffected by smog. "District Murree is exempted from these restrictions due to its low AQI," the notification read.

The Punjab government also directed a 50% reduction in office staffing, advising relevant authorities to work from home. All departments had previously been instructed to establish emergency plans to address the smog situation.

"Air quality index has crossed 500 and the public is suffering from diseases including breathing problems and eye infections in all districts. Peoples were again requested that they should avoid going outside as adoption of safety measures is best strategy in this situation," the Punjab Environment Ministry said.

Environment Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the provincial government had prepared a 10-year strategy to address the smog problem for the first time. She added that short-term and medium-term plans had also been chalked out to improve the environment.

"Targets have been given to each sector and the chief minister [Maryam Nawaz] herself is monitoring their performance," the minister said. "For the elimination of smog, the Environment Protection Agency of Punjab has been equipped with modern technology," she added.

For the first time in the country, the minister said, a vehicle certification regime had been introduced, the quality of petrol is being checked at petrol stations in Punjab. She added that 1000 super seeders had been distributed, while burning of paddy and crop residues would be eliminated.

"For the first time, the government is working on eliminating smog by changing the laws," she continued. "We have to adopt the habit of doing business in sunlight like the rest of the world. If we want to end smog, we have to change our habits, otherwise we will not end it, but increase it."

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), smog conditions were expected to persist across urban centres of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur throughout November and December due to high humidity, low wind speeds, and upper atmospheric pressure.

In an advisory, the NDMA highlights the rising smog levels in the affected areas, driven by the current weather conditions, and advises residents to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure and adopt protective measures to safeguard their health.

(WITH INPUTS FROM AGENCIES)