The Punjab government has decided to observe a four-day holiday province’s areas hit hard by smog, caretaker provincial chief minister Mohsin Naqvi said Tuesday.
In a press conference, the interim Punjab chief executive said that the holidays would be observed from Thursday (Iqbal Day – a national holiday) till Sunday, hoping that it would help curb smog.
The holiday will be observed in the Lahore Division – Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Nankana Sahib districts. It will also be applicable in Gujranwala and Hafizabad.
The provincial authorities had mulled last month to impose an additional weekly off, but as the situation improved, they decided against it, saying that they would keep monitoring the situation.
The IQ Air showed that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the provincial capital Lahore has spiked to 374, while Multan stood at 442. Pindi Bhattian’s AQI was at 257 and Rawalpindi 175.
An AQI of 101 to 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301 to 500 hazardous.
“A national holiday will be observed on November 9, and on November 10 we will shut schools and offices in Punjab” the provincial chief executive told reporters in Lahore during the press briefing.
Naqvi said schools are already closed on Saturdays and Sundays, but if a school isn’t closed this Saturday, then they will be asked to remain shut.
