Lahore schools & offices to remain shut thrice a week as smog worsens

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to shut down private and government schools in Lahore thrice a week as the smog situation in the provincial capital has taken a turn for the worse.

In a notification, Punjab Relief Commissioner Babar Hayat Tarar said the restriction would be in place from November 27 to January 15. The commissioner said private offices in the provincial capital would also remain shut three days a week.

Schools and offices will be closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the notification said.

Lahore was ranked among the top five cities of the world with bad air quality, as it recorded its Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 167.

Last week, the provincial government had directed private sector companies in Lahore to operate on a 50% attendance basis till further notice and said polluters would be fined.

Lahore regularly ranks among the worst cities in the world for air pollution — a mixture of low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal crop burn-off, and colder winter temperatures coalescing into stagnant clouds.

Read more: Punjab Capital Lahore tops global air quality & pollution ranking again