Smog: Will there be holiday in Lahore tomorrow?

Commuters on a road in Lahore during smog in this 2019 file image. — AFP

LAHORE: All educational institutions, markets, and offices will remain open tomorrow (Wednesday) and their closure is subject to approval from the provincial government, the Lahore Commissioner’s Office clarified Tuesday.

In a statement, the commissioner’s office’s spokesperson said that the holidays to curb smog in Lahore will be observed from next week after the Punjab government issues a notification.

“The proposal of work from home in educational institutions and offices will be submitted to the Punjab government and it will make a final decision in this regard,” the spokesperson added.

PM2.5 concentration in Lahore is currently 6.6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value, according to IQAir.

The development came after it emerged that the Punjab government was mulling imposing coronavirus-like restrictions in Lahore to control the worsening smog situation in the provincial capital.

According to sources, the authorities are likely to announce a complete shutdown on Wednesdays when all schools, markets, and factories will be closed.

Under the new policy, the government departments will operate with 50% strength on Wednesday, said the sources, adding that it has also been advised to carry out snap-checking on weekends — Saturday and Sunday.

The unusual traffic in the metropolis is the main reason behind smog while emissions from factories only contribute 7% of overall pollution in Lahore.

It has also been suggested, according to sources, to impose heavy fines on factories violating the law and shut them in case of continuous ignorance of the directives.

The sources shared that the highest level of smog is recorded on the first three days of the week — Monday to Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa said the authorities will announce a work-from-home policy for two months to combat smog in the Lahore Division.

The commissioner said this after he along with CCPO Bilal Siddiqui met traders to discuss the proposal to keep markets closed on Wednesdays.

The commission said traders supported the measure to keep markets closed on Wednesdays as part of the anti-smog measures.

“Traders can open markets on Sundays if they want," the commissioner added.