- Marriyum Aurangzeb says schools closure extended for one more week, referring to smog as a national disaster
- Says 10-year plan for mitigating smog, together with all sectors and departments, with each sector given targets
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday declared health emergency and three-day lockdown in Lahore and Multan, besides a series of emergency measures to mitigate the smog [crisis] turned into a health crisis.
Addressing a presser on Friday, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced a series of emergency measures in response to the worsening smog crisis in the province, including the declaration of a health emergency and three-day lockdown in Lahore and Multan.
Mrs Aurangzeb stated that a health emergency declared in Lahore and Multan and leaves of all doctors and paramedical staff has been cancelled, while closure of schools and colleges has also been extended for one more week.
Due to the smog, schools will be closed for another week, online classes will be held in colleges and universities. Restaurants have been given time till 4pm, however, taking food from restaurants will be allowed till 8pm.
“A new campaign, named “Detox Lahore,” will be launched to address the smog crisis. Restaurants will be restricted to takeaway services after 4 PM, and brick kilns and furnace-based industries will remain closed for a week.
Aurangzeb emphasized that smog is not a short-term issue, and the government is preparing 3-month action plans to tackle the crisis over the next year. She referred to smog as a national disaster affecting not just Lahore, but also Abbottabad and Multan.
She emphasized the countries that curbed smog received a lot of cooperation from their citizens, urging people to stay at home on Saturday and Sunday. She also highlighted the role of actors, artists and the media in helping deal with the health menace.
“To all the detractors, I will urge them to unite against smog. Considering all the circumstances, the decisions will be implemented from next week,” the minister announced.
The minister announced the following measures in view of the worsening smog in Lahore and other cities of Punjab: All brick kilns and furnace-based plants in Lahore and Multan have been shut down from Friday to curb emissions.
A complete lockdown will be enforced on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday if the situation does not improve by Wednesday. Dining in at restaurants will be allowed only until 4pm, after which take-away services will be permitted.
Marriyum Aurangzeb further said that over 40,000 smog-affected individuals were being treated in hospitals, and urged citizens to limit outdoor activities and wear masks, particularly while riding motorcycles.
Mrs Aurangzeb highlighted the Punjab government’s implementation of a 10-year climate change and smog policy, which includes transitioning brick kilns to zigzag technology to reduce emissions, promoting eco-friendly transportation through the introduction of e-bikes and electric buses in Lahore, providing subsidised super seeders to farmers to reduce stubble burning.
The minister stressed that smog is not limited to Pakistan but also affects Indian Punjab, highlighting the shared responsibility to tackle environmental issues. “Smog knows no borders; it’s a matter of life and death for both countries,” she stated, urging cooperation to combat the crisis.
Marriyum Aurangzeb appealed to citizens and the private sector to ensure compliance with the mask mandate and other measures. She warned of further restrictive actions if the smog situation does not improve by mid-week, with a possible lockdown extending to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Aurangzeb concluded by urging collective efforts, stating, “Countries that eliminated smog succeeded because of public cooperation. We need to do the same to protect our health and future.”
“Smog is one aspect of climate change,” she said, highlighting that the Punjab government prepared a 10-year climate change policy for the first time, which covered various issues, such as floods, natural disasters, rehabilitation, recovery, and vulnerable areas.
Referring to the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) calls for a long-term plan to tackle the issue, the minister said: “The Punjab chief minister has made a 10-year plan for smog, together with all sectors and departments, and the sectors were given targets.”
Aurangzeb said she would like to brief the LHC herself about the policy, noting that various factors contributing to smog included “transport, agriculture, energy, our habits, our behaviour and our actions towards nature”.
The minister thanked the civil society, nongovernmental organisations and private organisations for making suggestions to combat smog.
Referring to a letter written by WWF-Pakistan to Prime Minister Shehbaz, Aurangzeb claimed: “The things they have suggested are part of this mitigation plan for the past eight months. Every single thing.”
The plan, titled ‘Roadmap for Smog Mitigation in Punjab (2024-2025)’, says it details “Smog Mitigation Actions” taken from January to October this year.
The minister invited experts and organisations to identify gaps in it, asserting that the government would fill them.
However, the PML-N leader stressed: “This would not end in six months or a year. This is a long-term process but we have kept three-month targets.”
“It’s a long-term, short-term and medium-term plan,” she stated.
