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LAHORE: Authorities, in Punjab’s capital Lahore, are considering steps to tackle deteriorating smog. This includes adjusting school timings and enforcing stricter vehicle emission regulations.
The city of nearly 15 million people has hazardous air quality and poor visibility, with reports from the Punjab government showing a critical Air Quality Index. A large portion of this comes from local sources and also from nearby Indian cities.
As Lahore is one of the most polluted cities in the world, there is a growing threat over the health of its residents as many students, along with their parents, complain about breathing problems and other respiratory issues.
The Punjab Education Minister has revealed that if the current deteriorating air quality goes unabated, then schools closure might be considered to protect children. In the meantime, school hours have been temporarily adjusted as a precaution.
Minister Hayat called on parents, students, and the public as a whole to be more involved in efforts to minimize the levels of smog.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emphasized the seriousness of the situation, warning that exposure to high levels of air pollutants, particularly during the peak smog season between October and December, would pose serious health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, to vulnerable groups such as children.
