LAHORE, October 31, 2024: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared smog a “calamity” in Punjab, prompting immediate measures to protect public health.
The government has directed all special education schools in Lahore to send students with health conditions vulnerable to poor air quality on a three-month leave.
This decision follows alarming air quality levels in Lahore, which recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 201 on Thursday, making it the second most polluted city globally, according to iqair.com. An AQI below 50 is considered safe, while Thursday’s reading falls into the ‘very unhealthy’ category.
The declaration was made under Section 3 of the Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1958, as outlined in a notification from the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The notification empowers deputy commissioners to act as relief commissioners and take necessary measures to mitigate the smog crisis.
Read More: Punjab Government Adjusts School Timings in Lahore Amid Severe Smog
In addition to the school leave, the Punjab government has banned various pollution-causing activities throughout the province, including the burning of crop residue, solid waste, tires, rubber, and plastics, operation of vehicles that emit visible smoke and exceed pollution limits and industries lacking emission control systems that worsen air quality.
The government also banned stone crushers that do not use wet scrubbers and sale and use of sub-standard fuels.
Furthermore, the notification prohibits encroachments and parking that disrupt traffic flow, as well as any activities that generate fugitive dust without appropriate safeguards.
