ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, on Friday barred the public from entering parks, zoos, playgrounds, and museums due to deteriorating air quality across the province.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the Punjab government had closed all public and private schools in 18 districts of the province for ten days to protect students from exposure to toxic air.
Lahore, home to more than 14 million people, has been engulfed in thick, smoky haze this week and was consistently ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world.
According to the Global Air Quality Index (AQI) website, IQAir, the AQI of Lahore was recorded at 682.
The Punjab government’s Friday notification imposed a complete ban on public entry to all parks, zoos, playgrounds, historical sites, monuments, museums, and amusement parks until November 17 in areas including Lahore.
The ban applies to Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, and Khanewal districts of the province.
“Any violation of this order shall be punished under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC),” the notification stated.
Earlier today, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the closure of all markets across Punjab by 8 pm. The court also banned the entry of smoke-emitting vehicles and heavy trucks into the city.
According to the Punjab’s Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department, over 129,000 people in Lahore are currently suffering from health issues related to poor air quality.
According to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute report, the people of Lahore have could their lives shortened by 7.5 years due to the poor air they breathe.
According to UNICEF, every year, air pollution is estimated to cause the deaths of 130,000 children under the age of 5 in South Asia.
