The Punjab government has announced the closure of all primary schools in Lahore for one week due to a severe smog crisis.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb stated that schools from classes 1 to 5 will be closed for seven days, affecting both public and private institutions. She emphasized the Chief Minister’s zero-tolerance policy towards smog.

For days, the city of 14 million people has been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.

The air quality index, which measures a range of pollutants, exceeded 1,000 on Saturday – well above the level of 300 considered “dangerous” – according to data from IQAir. The Punjab government also recorded peaks of over 1,000 on Sunday, which it considered “unprecedented”.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Aurangzeb attributed the worsening air quality to polluted air blowing in from India. She explained that the burning of crop residue in India significantly contributes to the smog.

She added that winds carrying pollutants from Chandigarh, India, impacted many areas within Lahore.

Aurangzeb detailed the fluctuating AQI levels, explaining that strong winds from India pushed the AQI above 1,000 in Lahore, reaching as high as 1,900 near the border. When the wind subsided, the AQI dropped to between 180 and 200. However, strong winds from India resumed this morning, with Lahore’s wind speed at zero, pushing the AQI back up to 1017.

The minister reported ongoing local-level surveillance and field efforts. She appealed to farmers to refrain from burning crop residue and utilize super seeders instead, noting that these are available for rent. She mentioned recent arrests of farmers for this practice, emphasizing that individual responsibility is crucial in controlling the smog.

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Aurangzeb described the current AQI as hazardous to health and criticized those who politicized the issue. She stressed that resolving the smog problem requires collaboration with India, stating that coordinated efforts on both sides of the border are necessary.

She pointed to the government’s success in lowering AQI levels in the Shimla Hills region through a green lockdown, restricting entry of three-wheeled vehicles (Chingchi rickshaws). She also warned of strict action against vehicles emitting excessive smoke within the city, utilizing Safe City cameras for monitoring.

Aurangzeb predicted that winds will continue to blow towards Lahore for the next week, expressing hope for a reduction in wind speed. She mentioned the earlier advisory urging people to limit outdoor activities, reiterating that Lahore’s air is currently unhealthy.

Finally, she confirmed the decision to close primary schools from playgroup to class 5 for a week, with official notifications to be issued to both public and private schools. This decision follows an earlier adjustment of school timings to 8:45am on October 22.

“Weather forecast for the next six days shows that wind patterns will remain the same. Therefore we are closing all government and private primary schools in Lahore for a week,” Jahangir Anwar, a senior environmental protection official in Lahore told AFP.

“All the classes” for children up to the age of 10, “public, private & special education… shall remain closed for one week” from Monday until Saturday, read a local government decision seen by AFP.

The decision added that the situation will be assessed again next Saturday to determine whether to extend the school closure.

Smog counters have been established in hospitals, she added.

Breathing the toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with the WHO saying strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases can be triggered by prolonged exposure.

Children particularly vulnerable

On Saturday, the concentration of deadly PM2.5 pollutants – fine particulate matter in the air that causes most damage to health – was more than 40 times the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organisation. PM2.5 levels on Sunday morning exceeded that before decreasing slightly.

Last week, the provincial environmental protection agency announced new restrictions in four “hot spots” in the city.

Tuk-tuks equipped with polluting two-stroke engines are banned, as are restaurants that barbecue without filters.

Government offices and private companies will have half their staff work from home starting Monday.

Children are particularly vulnerable because they have less developed lungs and breathe more rapidly, taking in more air relative to their size than adults.

Last month, authorities banned schoolchildren from outdoor exercise until January and adjusted school hours to prevent children from travelling when the pollution is most punishing.

Pollution in excess of levels deemed safe by the WHO shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years, according to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.

According to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution and half of childhood pneumonia deaths are associated with air pollution.

(With input from AFP)