Lahore: The smog situation in Punjab is becoming dangerous, in this context wearing masks has been made mandatory in the affected areas for a week while the court has ordered the closure of educational institutions on Saturday.
The caretaker provincial government has taken an important decision in view of the worsening smog situation, which has made it mandatory to wear face masks for a week in smog-affected districts.
According to the notification issued by the Department of Primary and Secondary Health Care, every citizen must wear a mask for one week (November 20 to 26, 2023). This ban will be effective in the districts of Lahore and Gujranwala divisions.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has ordered to keep all educational institutions closed on Saturdays till the end of January due to smog. The court directed the Deputy Commissioner and other authorities to issue notification to close schools, colleges and universities.
Justice Shahid Karim has issued a written order on the petitions filed for the remedy of smog, in which it has been said that the Punjab government is taking steps to make work from home 2 days a week. In the notification, the word gym closure is suspended. This notification was made under the Corona clause, it cannot be applied anymore.
Apart from this, the rate of air pollution in Lahore is continuously increasing, as a result of which even today the provincial capital has become second in the world in terms of pollution. The overall rate of air pollution air quality index in the city was recorded at 395.
Experts have advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. According to Deputy Commissioner Lahore Rafia Haider, operations are ongoing in the whole city regarding anti-smog. Water is continuously being sprinkled on more than 60 highways across the city. Rain is necessary to reduce smog. According to the Meteorological Department, there is no chance of rain in the next 24 hours.
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