File photo. Arif Ali—AFP
Public and private schools in Punjab capital Lahore will remain closed for three days a week—Friday, Saturday and Sunday—“till further orders” due to the prevailing smog situation in the city, according to a notification issued on Wednesday morning.
Released by the School Education Department, the notification cited directions of the Lahore High Court for the decision, adding that chief executive officer of the District Education Authority and relevant officials would “manage the distribution” of homework to students during the institutions’ closure.
The decision to reduce the working week of schools comes after the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the Punjab government to issue a notification closing educational institutions thrice a week to cope with the rising public health concerns caused by smog.
In what has become an annual occurrence, Lahore has been consistently reporting “hazardous” air quality levels, often topping the list of the “most polluted” cities in the world. On Wednesday morning, the city’s AQI [air quality index] was recorded at 265, deemed “very unhealthy.” The rise in smog has triggered breathing problems for local residents, with doctors also warning that it could facilitate the spread of more airborne diseases.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Punjab government imposed an “environmental emergency” in Lahore, declaring the city “calamity-hit.” Addressing a press conference, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi said that he had instructed authorities to chalk out a plan to combat the worsening smog situation. “A ban has also been imposed on the burning of crop residues across the province,” he said, warning that any violators would be strictly punished.
Additionally, Elahi reiterated promises made by the provincial government every year, saying brick kilns would be transferred to zigzag technology and modern harvesters would be provided to farmers to reduce stubble burning. He also said that the government would operate anti-smog squads that would check vehicles emitting excess smoke and take action against them. “This campaign will last for three months,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, a meeting of the Punjab Environment Protection Council decided to bring the provincial environmental protection policy in line with the latest international standards and also deliberated on establishing “car-free zones” in Lahore and “alternate” traffic days. The participants proposed planning more trees to curb the spread of dust, banning vehicles older than 30 years, and encouraging the use of electric public transport.