As the Punjab government moves to curb smog, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced on Wednesday that schools and offices across the province would remain closed on Saturday (November 18).
The concentration of PM 2.5, or tiny particulate matter, in the air on Wednesday reached 195, considered unhealthy. It also hit 400, hazardous level, this week.
Naqvi’s announcement came at a press conference in the provincial capital days after Lahore High Court’s Justice Shahid Karim ordered the government to close all schools and colleges in Punjab on Saturdays. The judge said the provincial authorities failed to curb smog.
Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city with a population of 11 million, has been repeatedly ranked the world’s most polluted city. People have been advised to stay home and wear masks, with many residents having trouble breathing.
A four-day holiday was observed in smog-hit areas of the province on last week — from Friday to Sunday — and some businesses were also asked to shut down, but later allowed to remain operational as rains had subdued the smog.
“Air pollution is increasing due to smog,” Naqvi told journalists, as he pointed out that 90% of the crop burning in winter takes place and 10% in Pakistan — which is a major contributor to smog.
To deal with this, the interim chief minister said farmers will be supported in purchasing modern machinery. “We are taking other measures to curb smog as well.”
