Punjab Announces 3-Weekly School Holidays in Smog-Hit Districts

Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has announced three weekly holidays for schools and colleges in 10 districts to due worsening smog situation, which has resulted in several people reporting to hospitals with breathing problems.

According to the details, all schools and colleges will remain closed for three days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday across Punjab’s smog-hit districts, which include Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, and Sahiwal.

Moreover, a notification has also been issued by the Punjab School Education Department in this regard, which states, “In the wake of deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) and in order to safeguard the health and well-being of students against smog, all Public and Private Schools of Lahore, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, and Multan Divisions, shall remain closed on Friday 24th and 25th November, 2023.”

Schools in these Punjab districts will reopen on 27 November 2023.

Furthermore, the caretaker CM also stated that air-purifying towers will be installed in the provincial capital and 10,000 students will be provided with electric bikes on subsidy to combat air pollution.

Additionally, the interim Punjab government also announced plans to induce artificial rain in Lahore on November 29. Moreover, all kinds of markets will also remain closed on Sunday with restaurants allowed to open at 3:00 pm.

These decisions were taken after the Lahore High Court (LHC) intervened in response to petitions to curb the toxic smog in the provincial capital. Therefore, the Punjab government has announced 3-weekly holidays for schools and colleges in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, and Sahiwal.

Read more: Punjab Plans to Induce Artificial Rain in Lahore to Curb Smog.

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