LAHORE – The Met Office has predicted that smog would engulf various cities of Punjab other than Lahore and air quality continues to worsen amid subtle burning in Indian and Pakistani areas.
Smog is expected to hit Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sargodha, Narowal, Sheikhupura, Bahawalpur, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and DG Khan, the Met Office said on Monday.
A day earlier, the Punjab government announced closure of all public and private primary schools for one week in Lahore as the city was ranked most polluted city in the world for several consecutive day.
“This smog is very harmful for children, masks should be mandatory in schools for elder students,” Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said while announcing the holidays.
In Lahore, the government has closed schools till November 9 while a decision to extend the holiday will be taken after reviewing the pollution situation.
As the smog continues to spread in other areas due to direction of air, parents in different cities are expressing concerns about the health of their children.
Are Schools in Gujranwala, Silakot and other Cities Being Closed?
Currently, the government has taken no decision to close schools in these cities. However, the IQAir website shows air quality in Gujranwala is unhealthy with city’s AQI standing at 183.
PM2.5 concentration in Gujranwala is currently 18.6 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value.
