In light of increasing air pollution, schools in five more divisions of Punjab will be closed until November 17. The divisions affected include Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi.
A notification from the Punjab government has confirmed that all schools in these regions will remain shut, and private tutoring centers will also pause their operations. Classes for students up to grade 12 will be held online during this period.
These closures come after similar actions were taken earlier for schools in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan due to air quality concerns.
Lahore is currently experiencing extremely poor air quality, ranking as the most polluted city in the world. Its air quality index (AQI) is alarmingly high, almost 74 times beyond the World Health Organization’s safe limit, with an average reading of 588.
The IQAir AQI rankings show Lahore at the top, with New Delhi and Kinshasa following in second and third place for the worst air quality.
In a separate move, the Punjab government has also prohibited most outdoor activities and imposed retail restrictions across four districts in response to ongoing hazardous smog. Following a Lahore High Court directive, all retail businesses in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala must close by 8 PM, except for pharmacies and certain essential services.
Under the new regulations, only pharmacy and grocery sections of large stores may remain open, while outdoor activities like sports events, exhibitions, and public gatherings after 8 PM are banned. Local authorities have been instructed to enforce these restrictions strictly, aiming to tackle the severe air pollution crisis in these areas.
