Punjab Government Orders School Closures and Mandatory Mask Use Amid Rising Smog Levels
The Punjab government has announced that all educational institutions from primary to higher secondary, including O and A level classes, will close and shift to online learning until November 17 due to worsening air quality. The decision, confirmed by a government notification on Wednesday, mandates online classes for schools across Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan divisions.
Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb introduced the measures in a press conference, followed by an official notice issued by the director general of the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Imran Hamid Shaikh. The notification specifies that this closure will apply to both public and private institutions within affected areas.
During the press conference in Lahore, Senior Minister Aurangzeb outlined ongoing efforts by various departments to address the smog crisis, mentioning the setup of an advanced control room to monitor the Air Quality Index. She emphasized the role of crop residue burning and continued violations of plastic bag bans as key contributors to the pollution.
Aurangzeb cautioned that individuals without masks could inhale dangerous methane levels and recommended that female students shift to online education to reduce exposure. She highlighted how deteriorating air quality in nearby Indian states, like Rajasthan, has worsened conditions in Punjab’s cities, with Lahore’s Air Quality Index now exceeding 1,000.
Additional measures include limiting on-site staffing in government and private offices to 50% and enforcing virtual meetings for government departments. The mask mandate will apply across all sectors as authorities anticipate the severe smog may persist for at least the next ten days.
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