The Government of Punjab has announced the closure of all primary schools in Lahore for a week due to the worsening smog, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeding 1,000.
Secondary and high schools remain open but require students to wear masks.
Senior Minister of Punjab Maryam Aurangzeb said in a press conference today that pollution from India has intensified the city’s smog crisis and pushed AQI readings in border areas to as high as 1900.
The government has intensified its anti-smog efforts to meet strict pollution control targets, including a ban on plastic bags, stringent construction site monitoring, and arrests of farmers for crop burning.
The minister compared smog to a pandemic wreaking havoc in cities other than Lahore, including Islamabad. She urged residents to avoid unnecessary outings.
She also emphasized collaborative actions with India to tackle pollution from agricultural burning.