Lahore air pollution hits historic high, forcing school closures
Unprecedented air pollution levels in Pakistan's second-largest city of Lahore prompted authorities to take emergency measures yesterday, including issuing work-from-home mandates and closing primary schools.
Lahore topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities yesterday, following an unprecedented pollution reading of 1900 near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday, according to provincial government data and Swiss air quality monitor IQAir.
In response, Punjab's Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced a week-long closure of primary schools and urged parents to ensure children wear masks as thick smog covered the city. She advised residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and limit travel. Hospitals have also been equipped with smog monitors to manage the health impact.
To curb vehicle emissions, the government instructed that half of office staff work from home, Aurangzeb noted. Authorities have also banned three-wheeled rickshaws and paused construction in certain areas. Factories and construction sites that violate these new restrictions face shutdowns.
Aurangzeb described the crisis as 'unexpected,' partly blaming pollution from neighboring India carried by winds. Lahore, like Delhi, experiences worsening air quality in colder months due to temperature inversions that trap pollutants near ground level.
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