Pakistan closes primary schools in Lahore for a week due to dangerous air quality

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Dangerously poor air quality forced Pakistani authorities in the cultural capital Lahore on Monday to close primary schools for a week, government officials said, after the air quality index hit a record high this weekend.

The measures in Lahore were part of a larger effort to protect children from respiratory and other diseases in the city of 14 million. The government said everyone in Lahore should wear a face mask.

Fifty percent of employees are also required to work from home as part of a ‘green lockdown’ in the city, the government said, adding that barbecuing food without filters was banned and motorized rickshaws were restricted. Wedding halls will have to close at 10pm and artificial rain is likely to be used to reduce pollution.

The air quality index in Lahore rose above 1,000 this weekend, a record high in Pakistan.

Toxic gray smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mostly children and the elderly, since last month, when air quality began to deteriorate in Lahore, the capital of the eastern province of Punjab, bordering India.

The government has also banned construction work in certain areas and fined owners of smoke-emitting vehicles. Schools will remain closed for a week due to pollution, according to a government report.

The concentration of PM 2.5, or small particles, in the air approached 450, which is considered hazardous, the Punjab Environment Protection Department said.

Lahore was once known as a city of gardens, which were ubiquitous during the Mughal era from the 16th to the 19th centuries. But rapid urbanization and rising population growth leave little room for greenery.