Lahore, a major city in Pakistan, is dealing with serious air pollution, leading to the closure of all primary schools for a week. Starting Monday, half of the office workers will be allowed to work from home as part of a “green lockdown.” Additionally, there are new rules banning noisy rickshaws and cooking with smoky grills without filters.
Punjab’s Senior Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, emphasized the dangers of the smog for kids, suggesting that masks should be required in schools. Last Sunday, Lahore was reported as the most polluted city in the world for the second time.
The air quality index exceeded 1,000 on Saturday, far surpassing the 300 level that the World Health Organization marks as “dangerous.” Fine particles in the air, which are very harmful to health, also reached dangerous levels.
A senior environment official, Raja Jehangir Anwar, pointed out that burning crop waste, especially from across the Indian border, is a major cause of the smog. Aurangzeb mentioned that these harmful fumes are being blown into Pakistan by strong winds, and she believes talks with India are necessary to address the problem.
Authorities are advising people to stay indoors and limit travel. Water is being sprayed into the air to help reduce the smog, and construction work is paused in some areas. The situation will be reevaluated next Saturday to decide if schools should stay closed.
Breathing this toxic air can lead to serious health issues, such as strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and breathing problems, according to the WHO. Last month, schools also prevented children from playing outside until January and adjusted school hours to keep them safe from the worst pollution.
A worried mother, Lilly Mirza, expressed her concerns, saying, “Last year was not this bad… Somebody needs to tell us what has happened.” The smog situation usually worsens in winter when cold air traps pollution near the ground.
