Authorities recommend that 50% of the workforce should work from home during this period
\n Lahore
\nThe Punjab government has announced a one-week closure of schools for primary classes in Lahore due to severe smog conditions.
\nSenior provincial minister Maryam Aurangzeb made the announcement during a press conference, emphasising the urgent need to protect children and vulnerable populations from the hazardous air quality.
\nMaryam Aurangzeb indicated that the prevailing wind patterns bringing air from India are expected to persist, complicating efforts to control the smog.
\n\u201cWe cannot stop or redirect the Indian air, and the only solution is dialogue,\u201d she stated, urging cooperation to tackle the environmental crisis.
\nIn addition to the school closures, the government has advised that 50% of the workforce should work from home to reduce exposure to the polluted air. Parents are being encouraged to provide masks for their children and to keep them indoors as much as possible.
\nThe minister also highlighted measures being taken to mitigate the effects of the smog, including a ban on certain vehicles within a one-kilometre radius of green zones.
\nMaryam Aurangzeb mentioned that the technology for artificial rain, previously acquired from the UAE, is now locally available, and plans for implementation will proceed when conditions are suitable.
\nThe government aims to address the immediate health risks posed by the deteriorating air quality while seeking longer-term solutions to combat smog in the region.
\nLahore gasps as pollution hits record levels
\nAir pollution in Lahore reached alarming heights on Saturday, with officials reporting that the city\u2019s air quality is nearly 40 times higher than the World Health Organisation\u2019s (WHO) recommended limits. The level of PM2.5 pollutants, which pose significant health risks, peaked at 610.
\nThe city has been engulfed in smog for several days, a mixture of fog and pollutants exacerbated by low-quality diesel emissions, agricultural burning, and winter weather.
\nThe air quality index (AQI) surged to 1,067, far exceeding the \u2018dangerous\u2019 threshold of 300, according to IQAir data.
\nWinds blowing from India have further deteriorated Lahore\u2019s air quality, placing the city third on the global air pollution index, following Delhi and Kinshasa.
\nReports indicated that regions near the Indian border recorded AQI levels between 1500 and 1800, with Lahore itself facing hazardous conditions marked by an AQI score of 1000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Authorities recommend that 50% of the workforce should work from home during this period Lahore The Punjab government has announced a one-week closure of schools for primary classes in Lahore due to severe smog conditions. Senior provincial minister Maryam Aurangzeb made the announcement during a press conference, emphasising the urgent need to protect children and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":441372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-441351","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n