https://arab.news/r6gs7
- The provincial capital of Lahore near the border with India regularly registers among world’s most polluted cities
- Smog is particularly bad in winter due to low-grade fuel from factories, vehicles in the low-lying city of 14 million
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the eastern Pakistani province of Punjab have altered timings for all public and private schools as prevailing smog continues to threaten lives in the country’s most populous province.
The Punjab Environmental Protection Authority (PEPA) this week issued a notification, detailing the adjusted timings and additional precautionary measures.
Effective from Oct. 28 till Jan. 31, schools in the province will begin at 8:45am, while morning assemblies will be held indoors to reduce students’ exposure to hazardous air.
The decision to alter school timings and suspend outdoor activities aims to minimize exposure to hazardous air quality, according to the provincial authorities.
“In the morning, the smog is more intense. Keeping this in mind, the government has wisely taken measures to prioritize children’s health by rescheduling school timings” Sarah Ather, principal of SAINT ANDREWS CHURCH CATHEDRAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, told Reuters.
“This is a good initiative by the government to provide safer facilities for children.”
Smog is particularly bad in winter as a result of low-grade fuel from factories and vehicles in the low-lying megacity of 14 million, where denser cold air traps emissions at ground level. Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore is also a major contributing factor.
Lahore, the provincial capital, topped the global pollution charts on Monday, earning the dire distinction of the world’s most polluted city, when the air quality index (AQI) hit 507 at around 10am local time (0500 GMT), with the Switzerland-based air quality watchdog IQAir categorizing the air quality as “hazardous.”
But some parents say the change in school hours won’t reduce smog and they will have to readjust their schedules for transportation of children.
“The change in school hours hasn’t reduced the smog. It remains a constant issue,” said Mohammad Shahbaz.
“The revised timing has only caused disturbance in public schedules. Earlier, schools ran from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, but now children return home at 3:00 pm, creating logistical challenges for parents.”
Breathing the toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with the World Health Organization saying strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases could be triggered due to prolonged exposure.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution.