LAHORE: In a bid to tackle the situation arising due to smog, the caretaker Punjab government has decided that all educational institutions would remain closed on Friday (November 24) and Saturday (November 25) in six divisions of the province.
Announcing the decision, caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi told the media that they have decided to close schools on Friday and Saturday in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal and Sargodha divisions. The AQI levels are higher in the morning than in the evening, so they are trying to break that cycle, he added.
The CM also announced that 10,000 electric bikes would be provided to students in smog-hit areas by giving a subsidy.
“The government employees would also be offered the same facility on a lease,” he said, adding: “The provincial government had also initiated efforts to implement artificial rain in Lahore and stated that the authorities would explore the option to address smog, contingent upon meeting all the requisite conditions.”
Responding to a query, the CM said that to induce artificial rain, specific cloud types and other necessary measures are prerequisites which they are currently working to fulfil. If all the requirements align, they intend to conduct artificial downpours in the city on November 29, he said.
It may be noted that artificial rain, also known as cloud seeding, is a weather modification technique that aims to increase precipitation from clouds by dispersing substances, typically silver or potassium iodide, into the air to provide a surface for water vapour to condense onto.
Answering another question, the CM said that they are not in favour of shutting markets, therefore, it has been decided that markets will open on Friday and Saturday from 3:00 pm onwards, however, on Sunday, all markets will remain closed as well as other businesses.
He said that restaurants will also be open from 3:00 pm onwards on Friday and Saturday, adding that offices will be open on Friday but only after 3:00 pm on Saturday.
He said that it was decided that Mall Road in Lahore would be reserved for cyclists till 5:00 pm on Sunday. He said that some of their decisions carry symbolic significance, aiming to disrupt the peak cycle of smog, while others are intended for long-term impact. He advised the people to continue wearing masks to avoid contracting any health problems.
Moreover, the Punjab Relief Commissioner issued a notification stating that there would be “restricted movement” in the six divisions. It said that all public and private schools, colleges, universities and educational institutions would remain closed on Friday and Saturday. It further said that all markets, shops and restaurants would open after 3:00 pm on both days.
The notification said that all offices would open after 3:00 pm on Saturday. On Sunday, the Punjab government had also made face masks compulsory for residents stepping out of their homes in 10 districts. It had also previously imposed a limited lockdown to tackle the escalating air pollution levels.
According to the Air Quality Index, the AQI in Lahore at 5:00 pm on Thursday was recorded at 306, which falls under the category of hazardous. It said that the PM2.5 concentration in Lahore was currently 51.2 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.