Punjab orders school, college holidays in five more divisions, shift to online classes

LAHORE: As Punjab is battling with rising air pollution, the provincial government has extended the closure of all public and private schools and colleges to five additional divisions of the province on Tuesday.

The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the educational institutions in Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, and Sahiwal divisions to remain closed from November 13 (Wednesday) to November 17, 2024.

“All institutions, from nursery to grade 12, including academies and tuition centres, will remain closed from November 13 to 17,” the notification issued by DG EPA Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh said.

The govt previously closed schools and colleges in the Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad divisions till November and ordered educational institutes to shift classes to online mode, to save students from the severe impacts of toxic pollution.

The environment department has emphasized that “the closures aim to protect public health, particularly young students, from the adverse effects of the toxic air quality.”

On Monday, the provincial government restricted all outdoor activities in pollution-hit districts of Punjab including Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad, where the air pollution has hazardous levels.

An official notification issued by the EPA ordered the closure of all outdoor activities including outdoor sports events, exhibitions and festivals, and outdoor dining of restaurants with the exemption of religious gatherings.

Earlier, the authorities banned entry into parks, zoos, and other open-air public places last week to minimize the cause and effect of air pollution.