LAHORE – The Punjab government has ordered all private offices, franchises and NGOs to reduce the physical presence of their human resources to 50 percent by shifting them to work from home mode till December 31.
The preemptive measures have been taken due to the air pollution and deteriorating quality of ambient air, said a notification issued by the Environment Protection Department.
The work from home policy has been announced four divisions – Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan and Faisalabad – due to critical air pollution events. The average AQI of these districts has crossed the critical limit of 500 which is alarming hazardous for human health.
The notification states that “Section 6(1) (t) of the ibid Act empowers EPA to take or cause to be taken all necessary measures for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment, prevention and control of pollution and promotion of sustainable development”.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh (PAS), Director General. Environmental Protection Agency, Punjab in exercise of the powers conferred upon me u/s 6(1) (t) of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997, do hereby order that all the private offices, franchises, NGOs etc shall reduce the physical presence of their human resource to 50% by shifting them to online mode / work from home,” read the notification.
