The smog situation in Punjab, particularly in Lahore, has deteriorated to a point that the caretaker provincial government has been forced to take drastic measures to save millions of citizens from the detrimental effects of unfriendly environmental conditions.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a smog forecast for all districts of Punjab. The NDMA has used five indicators to categorize the forecast, with hazardous being the highest.
According to the forecast, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, and Bahawalpur districts are likely to have hazardous levels of smog till 12 November. As for the rest of the province, most districts are either likely to have very unhealthy (22 districts) or unhealthy (9 districts) levels of smog.
Only two districts Attock and Chakwal are likely to have moderate environmental conditions. None of the districts will have satisfactory environmental conditions.
Yesterday, the caretaker Punjab government announced the closure of schools and offices amid suffocating smog that has disrupted everyday life in the province, particularly Lahore. All schools and offices in Lahore division, Gujranwala, Nankana Sahib, and Wazirabad will remain closed on 10 November, Friday. This holiday will only be observed this week.
Moreover, markets will remain closed on Saturday. Hotels, parks, and cinemas will observe closure on Friday and Saturday. These businesses observe closure on Sunday normally.
