A student wearing a mask rides a bicycle to school along a smog-filled street in Lahore on November 5, 2024. — AFP
Pakistan's most populous province, Punjab, ordered schools to close in smog-affected main cities on Wednesday, shifting to online learning until November 17, according to a senior minister. Marriyum Aurangzeb, a key minister in Punjab, announced this during a press conference in Lahore as the country grappled with record air pollution.
The decision will impact millions of children in major cities across Pakistan, including the provincial capital of Lahore. For several days, some cities in the province have been shrouded in smog, a combination of fog and pollutants from low-grade diesel fumes, agricultural burning, and winter cooling.
Aurangzeb stated that the air quality index (AQI), which measures various pollutants, had surged above 1,000, far exceeding the 'dangerous' level of 300, according to IQAir data. "This morning's AQI crossed 1,100," she said, urging citizens to stay indoors. Wearing face masks was made mandatory in affected cities, and half of the staff in public and private offices were instructed to work remotely.
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