Three weekly holidays for all public and private institutions of Lahore have been announced by the Punjab government considering the current conditions of smog in the city. All public and private schools in Lahore will remain closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday every week. The notice will remain effective till further notification. This was intimated by the School Education Department (SED).
The decision of closure of schools in Lahore came out after Lahore High Court (LHC) asked the Punjab government to announce three days per week public holidays in all educational institutions keeping in view the severe smog that has enwrapped the province.
The persistent smog in Punjab, particularly in Lahore, has disabled the citizens from performing many outdoor activities. Lahore High Court has taken notice of these severe climatic conditions and during a hearing of a case regarding the smog, LHC judge, justice Shahid Kareem showed his dissatisfaction over the provincial government’s effort to cope up with the smog.
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On the flip side, Chief Minister of Punjab, Ch. Parvez Ilahi has declared environmental emergency amid the deteriorating conditions of smog situation in Punjab. He has directed anti-smog squad to ensure the control of smog inducing factors such as bricks kiln, stubble burning, smoke emitting vehicles in the province.
It is worth mentioning that Lahore has been ranked as the city with worst Air quality index. Serious measures should be taken to prevent the spread of lungs and throat infections due to compromised climatic conditions.
