LAHORE – Several cities in eastern Pakistan including Lahore are reeling under toxic smog, with hazardous level air quality levels, and authorities are considering several options including closing down all schools to protect young learners from growing air pollution.
In this regard, Lahore High Court shared new measures to address the worsening smog crisis in the metropolis. In a recent hearing on petitions regarding smog mitigation, Justice Shahid Karim proposed closing schools for two days and suspending commercial activities on Sundays.
The court mentioned shared similar strategies imposed last year, which proved effective in cutting alarming AQI levels. He urged EPA and other departments to chalk out strategy to counter measures.
Justice Shahid Kareem also ordered crackdown on trucks and heavy vehicles emitting smoke, and ordering inspections of buses at terminals and for motorway police to assess vehicle fitness.
The court noted that school should stay closed on Fridays and Saturdays, and with adjusted market hours, and complete shutdown of commercial activities on Sundays. Justice Karim indicated that similar measures may need to be reinstated to combat the current smog crisis.
Three Month School Holidays for Smog
Amid worsening condition, officials directed all public and private special education schools to send home students with health vulnerabilities. This directive targets those with respiratory, cardiovascular, and immunodeficiency disorders.
Schools must provide alternative education methods, such as online classes, to ensure these students do not fall behind. Officials clarified that this measure is not a blanket holiday for all special education students but specifically aimed at those at higher risk.
Punjab government has declared smog a life-threatening disaster, with Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif spearheading efforts to close polluting industries and enforce stricter environmental regulations to protect vulnerable communities.
Smog: Lahore schools likely to get 3 weekly holidays from November
