Smog crisis: Punjab govt closes schools in Lahore, other divisions

The Punjab government has announced the closure of all schools up to higher secondary level in key divisions across the province due to smog crisis.

Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House, Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed that schools in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan divisions will transition to online classes until November 17, prioritising public health amidst rising pollution levels.

“Today, the air quality index (AQI) is 1,150. Yesterday, the air quality index remained at 500, which is very dangerous,” Aurangzeb explained, urging parents to keep children indoors and shift to online schooling. She also emphasised that this shift is not a holiday but a measure to mitigate exposure to dangerous air pollutants.

Lahore currently has the world’s highest AQI, with levels consistently exceeding 1000 due to winds carrying pollution from neighbouring India, Aurangzeb noted. This prolonged exposure has increased hospital admissions for respiratory issues, with Lahore and other cities like Multan, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Gujranwala severely affected.

In addition to closing schools, Punjab has introduced a mandatory mask policy for public spaces. Public and private offices have been directed to adopt a 50% work-from-home policy, and all government meetings are to be held online until further notice.

Aurangzeb stated that specific targets have been set for health, agriculture, and environmental departments to combat pollution. The recently established Smog War Room monitors air quality data around the clock and coordinates efforts across departments.

“Our focus is health,” she affirmed. “Safe City and Traffic Police will enforce the wearing of masks, Elderly people should not go outside.”

The minister also highlighted the need for regional cooperation, pointing out that prevailing winds are carrying pollutants from across the border, exacerbating Lahore’s smog. “We need to work together with India to effectively tackle this cross-border crisis,” Aurangzeb said, noting that without collaborative measures, hazardous smog will persist each winter.

The Punjab government on last week announced to shut down primary schools in Lahore for the week amid persistent hazardous level of smog in the provincial capital.

A notification in this regard read that schools up to 5th grade will remain closed from November 4 to 9 in the light of smog situation in Lahore. The order is applicable on both private and public educational institutes.

The order stated that the decision was taken for students who are suffering from cardiac, respiratory, and other diseases.

Data from Swiss air quality monitor IQAir showed that Lahore's AQI, which measures a range of pollutants, was at "hazardous" 1,165 early morning yesterday.

Meanwhile, the (PM2.5) pollutants — the fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health — reached 125.2 times higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual air quality guideline value.

The AQI later dropped to 1,099, but still within "hazardous" zone with fluctuating figures.

The city has been witnessing severe smog for days and had witnessed the AQI exceeding the three-figure mark to stand at 1,194 earlier in the week.

The worsening air quality in the province has led to increase in health-related issues with Punjab Health Department confirming more than 55,000 cases of eye infections in the province between October 21 and 27 while over 7,000 people reported eye infections in Lahore alone.

The department added that more than 6,000 people reported nose, ear, and throat problems and medical experts advised people in smog-affected regions to use more water.

The city's AQI further plummeted to 751 — with the level of particulate matter 90.3 times higher than WHO guidelines — by 10:46am, while Indian capital New Delhi held the second spot among the cities having worst air quality with an AQI of 364.

In a related development, the department also established a Smog War Room at its headquarters where focal persons will brief the Punjab's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) director general and other officers concerned on a daily basis regarding their steps to curb smog.

Additionally, the department also announced "mandatory" leaves for those students in Lahore's special education centres who contracted illness due to polluted air from November 1 to January 31, 2025, amid smog crisis.

The order stated that the decision was taken for students who are suffering from cardiac, respiratory, and other diseases.