The Punjab government on Wednesday notified the closure of all public and private schools up to 12th grade until Nov. 17 in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan divisions, as the province continues to combat smog.
In a notification, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stressed that the provincial government was striving to curb the factors that deteriorated air quality, including preemptive measures. It noted the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997 empowered the EPA to take necessary measures for the “protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment.” Additionally, it said, a meeting of the provincial Critical Air Pollution Events Committee had determined that a “critical air pollution event had taken in place in Lahore, keeping in view the current high levels of Air Quality Index (AQI).”
In light of the prevailing situation, read the notification, all educational institutions, including private tuition centers up to higher secondary level (12th grade/A Level) shall remain closed and will shift to online mode. “This order shall come into force with effect from Nov. 7, 2024 and remain in force till Nov. 17, 2024 within the territorial jurisdictions of Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan divisions i.e. districts of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahudin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari and Khanewal.”
Earlier, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had announced the decision, urging the public to not venture outdoors without protective face masks. She had similarly said the government would direct all public and private offices to operate with 50% in-person staff and the remainder remotely and would conduct all official meetings online.
The minister lamented that burning of crop residue was contributing significantly to the smog, adding despite police action, violations to the use of plastic bags persisted. She also urged the public to discourage children from venturing outdoors during the smog, censuring parents who were taking children to shopping malls and entertainment areas.
According to Aurangzeb, Lahore touched an AQI above 1,000 today—a reoccurring situation—and authorities expected this intensity of smog to continue for the next 10 days.