Anti-smog combat: Complete lockdown in Lahore on Sunday

 The Punjab government will completely lock down Lahore on Sunday as part of its strategy to combat smog on Sunday (tomorrow), the 24NewsHD TV channel reported.

According to a notification issued by the health department, small and big markets and commercial centres will remain closed in the city

The Mall Road will also be closed for vehicular movement and the traffic police issued directives to avoid such movement on the historic road. 

Mall Road Lahore will be closed to all traffic on Sunday

The Punjab government launched anti-smog combat following the directives of chief minister, Mohsin Naqvi.  Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the cabinet committee the previous week, CM Naqvi announced that educational institutions and government offices would be closed in Lahore on Saturdays while markets would open after 3 pm on Saturdays.

He added air filter units would be installed at 12 places in Lahore and a high-powered environmental commission will the established to stem the smog.

Experts from Bahauddin Zakaria University of Multan and Punjab University are contacted for artificial rain while Chinese experts have been invited to Lahore for consultation, the chief minister maintained, adding that free registration of rickshaws will be done in 30 days and after that crackdown on unregistered rickshaws will begin.

An environmental lab will be established for the first time in Punjab while the police and transport department have been ordered to crack down on pumps selling substandard petrol, he stated. Farmers would be given modern machinery to destroy crop residues and the machinery would be bought in collaboration with banks while the electric bike policy is on the cards too.

Rain in Karachi

Karachi received a light rain and according to the Met Office, weather will remain cold and partly cloudy in Sindh on Sunday.

Clifton, DHA, Korangi and areas around Shahrah Faisal received rain that brought temperate down in the city of lights.

Weather forecast

According to the Met Office, the weather will remain cold and partly cloudy in most of the districts of the Punjab province. 

Sialkot, Lahore, Gujranwala, Narowal, Sargodha, Okara, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khanewal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Gardu Nawah are likely to experience smog and fog in the morning hours.

The Met Office added the weather will remain dry in most of the districts of Balochistan and KP on Sunday.

It predicted gusty winds and thundershowers in Sukkur, Tharparkar, Umarkot, Mirpur Khas, Mithi, Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Hyd Rabad and Sanghar.