Due to heavy smog and poor air quality, the Punjab Government has announced three weekly holiday days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The district of Lahore is not covered, but educational institutions will be closed each of these three days until further notice.
The notification was issued by the provincial government after Lahore High Court ordered three holidays per week in the Lahore district and put the order into effect. The order resulted from a case of smog in the province, and it was decided that schools deserved a break from their stuffy classrooms during smoggy days.
Lahore has been made to comply with an environmental emergency on account of heavy smog, and the city has been ranked among the most polluted cities in Pakistan. Masks have become mandatory in all schools from today onwards. The Chief Minister’s office has also directed the relevant government department(s) to take immediate action to control the effects of smog.
Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Pervez Elahi asserted that an emergency had been declared in the city and instructed authorities to devise a plan to combat worsening conditions. He also announced that a ban on burning crop residue has been imposed across the province and strict action will be taken against those violating the orders.
