The Government of Punjab is mulling to announce a weekly holiday in Lahore on Wednesday with all public and private schools along with markets to remain closed in order to control the worsening smog situation in the provincial capital.
According to the details, the Government of Punjab was mulling to impose a complete lockdown by announcing a weekly holiday in Lahore on Wednesdays with all schools, markets and factories to remain closed in order to combat the increasing levels of smog.
Under the new policy, the Government Departments will operate with 50% strength on Wednesday, while snap-checking will be carried out on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) to ensure compliance.
Meanwhile, it has been suggested to impose heavy fines on factories for violating the law and shut them down in case of repeated violations. According to sources, the highest level of smog is recorded during the first three days of the week (Monday to Wednesday).
The unusually high traffic in Lahore is said to be the main reason behind the smog problem, while emissions from factories only contribute to about 7% in overall pollution in the metropolis.
Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa has said that a Work From Home (WFH) will be announced for two months to combat the smog problem in Lahore, while CCPO Bilal Siddiqui also met with traders to discuss closure of markets on Wednesdays.
The commissioner said traders agreed to keep markets closed on Wednesdays as part of the anti-smog measures. “Traders will be allowed to open markets on Sundays if they want.” the commissioner added.
However, the Government of Punjab is yet to finalize these measures. If they end up approving all these measures, a weekly holiday will be announced in Lahore with all public and private schools along with markets to remain closed.
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