The ten districts of Punjab would be closed on Friday and Saturday to all educational institutions, including colleges, according to a statement made by Mohsin Naqvi, the acting chief minister. This choice was taken in response to Punjab’s expanding haze and declining air quality in Lahore and other areas.
Following an important meeting in Lahore on the topic, Naqvi said this at a news conference. The decision will have an impact on the divisions of, among others, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, and Sahiwal.
He also announced the construction of air purification towers within the city of Lahore and the subsidy of ten thousand electric motorcycles available to students.
If the clouds approached Lahore, the Chief Minister said artificial rain would fall on November 29. Furthermore, he stated that he was against market closures; thus, on Friday and Saturday, the markets will open at three o’clock.
On Sunday, all markets will be closed, but eateries will open for business at three o’clock in the afternoon.
The amount of water spray that is applied to highways has increased as a result of a government decision. Mall Road will be closed to vehicles other than bicycles from Sunday morning until five o’clock.
Everyone should wear a mask when they leave their houses, according to Naqvi. He asserts that the Indian wind is having an impact on Punjab province.
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The authorities had already explored the potential of instituting a lockdown for soft haze due to the exceptionally high levels of air pollution. The existence of non-conventional traffic was found to be the primary cause of the pollution, in accordance with the guidelines.
The departments put out a proposal on Friday to close all higher education establishments, including colleges and universities. It was also proposed that on Saturday, all factories, theaters, movie theaters, stores, and gyms close entirely.
The concepts stated that restaurants would not be open on Saturdays, but takeout and home delivery would still be permitted. According to the idea, restrictions on both private and public transit inside the city would need to be implemented.
Furthermore, this would mean that government organizations would only be able to function at half their potential. Additionally, it was suggested that picketing take place in the city on Friday and Saturday following the enactment of the soft pollution closure.
It was suggested that factories that were discovered to be breaking the law ought to close and face harsh penalties. Section 144 was being applied in the city of Lahore with additional effort.
Lahore reclaimed its title as the world’s most polluted city this morning, Thursday. This occurred as a result of the city’s air quality index exceeding the 500 threshold, which is thought to be the point of death.
Pollution levels were measured at 644 in Cantt, 587 in The Mall Road, and 570 in Gulberg, indicating an extremely high degree of contamination. At that time, Lahore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded to be 504.
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