The Punjab government has declared a one-week closure of schools for primary students in Lahore due to severe smog.
Senior provincial minister Maryam Aurangzeb announced this during a press conference, stressing the urgent need to protect children and vulnerable groups from the dangerous air quality. She noted that current wind patterns bringing air from India are expected to continue, making it harder to manage the smog situation.
Read more: Lahore Plans Artificial Rain, School Holidays to Combat Smog
“We cannot stop or redirect the Indian air, and the only solution is dialogue,” she said, calling for collaborative efforts to address the environmental crisis.
Alongside the school closures, the government has recommended that 50% of employees work from home to limit their exposure to the polluted air. Parents are encouraged to provide masks for their children and to keep them indoors as much as possible.
The minister also mentioned initiatives to reduce smog’s impact, including a ban on specific vehicles within a one-kilometer radius of green zones. She added that technology for creating artificial rain, previously obtained from the UAE, is now available locally, and plans for its use will proceed when conditions improve.
The government’s objective is to tackle the immediate health threats posed by the worsening air quality while also seeking long-term strategies to combat smog in the area
The city has been shrouded in smog for several days, a mix of fog and pollutants exacerbated by low-quality diesel emissions, agricultural burning, and winter weather.
The air quality index (AQI) soared to 1,067, well beyond the ‘dangerous’ threshold of 300, according to IQAir data.
Winds from India have further worsened Lahore’s air quality, placing the city third on the global air pollution index, behind Delhi and Kinshasa. Reports also indicated that areas near the Indian border recorded AQI levels between 1,500 and 1,800, while Lahore itself faced hazardous conditions with an AQI score of 1,000.
