The Department of Environmental Protection has implemented anti-smog measures, imposing a ban on heavy vehicles entering Lahore on Friday and Sunday nights.
According to the notification, this ban on heavy vehicles will be in effect from November 8 to January 31.
The notification states that heavy vehicles used for fuel transportation and passenger buses with fitness certificates are exempt from this restriction.
Additionally, rescue vehicles, police and prisoner transport vans, and government heavy vehicles are also exempt from the ban.
Severe Smog Situation: Announcement to Close Primary Schools in Lahore for a Week
The Punjab government has announced the closure of primary schools in Lahore for a week due to the worsening smog situation.
During a press conference in Lahore, Senior Punjab Minister Maryam Aurangzeb explained, “Wind from India has moved towards Pakistan, worsening the smog situation in Lahore since yesterday. The burning of crop residues and emissions in India have intensified air pollution, and as the wind from Amritsar and Chandigarh reached Pakistan, the smog spread rapidly, heavily impacting Lahore.”
She added, “To tackle the smog, the Punjab government has taken measures, holding joint sessions with all departments to create a plan for the first time in eight months. Strict enforcement of the anti-smog plan is ongoing, over 550 kilns have been demolished, and a ban has been imposed on plastic bags. Lahore’s air quality index (AQI) surpassed 1,000 yesterday, and in some areas, it reached 1,900, although it has since decreased.”
She advised the public to take precautions in the smoggy conditions, noting that “Our teams are in the field monitoring the situation, and arrests are being made for violations of smog SOPs. Over 1,000 super seeds have been distributed to farmers, and an e-bikes project has been launched.”
Maryam Aurangzeb also mentioned that “This issue cannot be resolved without discussions with India. Smog is like COVID-19, crossing borders. No leniency will be shown for smog violations.”
She announced that primary schools in Lahore will be closed for one week to control the situation, allowing students up to grade five a break.
Notification of School Closures Issued
Subsequently, the Punjab government issued a notification declaring all government and private schools in Lahore closed for a week.
The Department of Environment stated in the notification that smog affects children from grades one to five more severely, hence the need for the closure.
The notification specifies that classes from grades one to five will not be held in any school in Lahore for a week.
Notably, Lahore remains at the top of the list of the world’s most polluted cities, and the wind from India has rendered the city’s air extremely hazardous, with the AQI remaining over 1,000.
Thick, dark clouds of smoke from Indian cities such as Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Bathinda, Karnal, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Atari are entering Pakistani areas as gusts and swirls.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued a new smog alert for Lahore, and updates on the smog situation are being provided on the Punjab government’s Green App.
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