Smart lockdown imposed in 10 Punjab districts to curb smog

The Punjab government has imposed a smart lockdown today in 10 districts of the province including provincial capital Lahore as part of its anti-smog measures, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued a smart lockdown notification, according to which 10 districts will be locked down today including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin.

According to the notification, movement will be restricted in these districts, all public and private schools, colleges, and universities will remain closed, and online classes will be allowed while markets, shops, gyms, cinema halls and offices will open after 3 pm.

The air quality in these districts is getting worse which was earlier improved slightly a few days ago after receiving rain.

Lahore remains most-polluted city

The provincial capital was declared the most polluted city in the world where the number of particulate meters was recorded at 413 at 9 am today.

The AQ level in different areas of Lahore is recorded as under:

DHA phase 8 (411), Kent Polo Ground (454), Aitchison College (401), Quaid-e-Azam Road (439), and Fida Hussain House (376).

It should be noted that on Wednesday, the caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi called an important meeting to deal with the smog situation, in which decisions were taken regarding the closure of schools, colleges, and universities on Saturday and the opening of business centers at 3 pm.

The air quality in the city is hazardous. Weather conditions are misty, the minimum temperature has been recorded at 15C while the maximum temperature will be 26C.

There are no chances of rain this week.

 

Reporter Maida Waheed