All activities in Lahore schools suspended amid smog holidays

LAHORE: The district education authority has ordered the "immediate" suspension of all activities in public and private schools across the smog-ridden district as atmosphere continues to remain toxic for residents.

According to a notification issued by the authority, teachers have also been directed to teach online from home during the "smog holidays".

The activities that the authority has ordered the suspension of include parent-teacher meetings, school trips, sports activities and any other school gatherings or on-campus events, read the notification.

"Furthermore, it is directed that teaching staff in public schools will continue their duties online, working from home to ensure that academic progress is maintained during this period," it added.

However, the notification mentioned the continuation of the anti-dengue measures as per routine.

The development comes in light of the Punjab administration's measures to curb the impact of smog on Lahore's citizens, while ensuring the continuation of everyday activities including causing no disturbance to student's and their academic activities.

The city has continued to top the Air Quality Index (AQI) ranking with levels exceeding 700 today that falls under the "hazardous" levels followed by India's capital New Delhi at 376 around 9:57am this morning.

On Thursday, too, the city topped the AQI ranking with levels exceeding 800, as per data from Swiss air quality monitor IQAir.

Last week, the city witnessed unprecedented reading of 1,900 in some areas, an excess of more than 120 times over recommended levels, prompting bans on some building activity and orders to work from home.

Lahore's atmosphere has remained dangerous for its residents for weeks following its position as being one of the cities with the world’s highest AQI, with levels consistently exceeding 1,000 due to winds carrying pollution from neighbouring India, Punjab’s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb noted on Wednesday.

The provincial administration ordered the closure of all private and government educational institutions, teaching up to the higher secondary level, in the city as well as other Punjab districts till November 17, as per a notification.