Responding to deteriorating smog conditions, government and private schools in ten Punjab districts will shut down on Saturday, November 18.
This closure, outlined in the latest government notification, extends to markets, gyms, shops, and cinemas in Lahore until 3 pm. The precautionary measure targets areas severely affected by smog, including Lahore, Nankana, Sheikhupura, Kasur, and Gujranwala.
The notification further includes Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad, and Mandi Bahauddin. To address the smog crisis, the Punjab caretaker cabinet's anti-smog committee has implemented various measures, such as acquiring electric motorcycles for government officials, banning fossil fuel motorcycle purchases, establishing the province's first environmental laboratory, and mandating Saturday closures for educational institutions and offices.
In the upcoming month, the cabinet plans to facilitate the free registration of Chingchi rickshaws and crack down on unregistered and sub-standard fuel-selling Chingchi rickshaws.