LAHORE: Keeping in view the recent smog situation, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has notified the imposition of smart lockdown in 10 districts of the province.
The Punjab capital has been consistently retaining its top spot on the list of most polluted cities in the world.
According to details, the smart lockdown will remain enforced in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, and Sargodha divisions. The educational institutions are also closed in the aforesaid districts.
Meanwhile, markets, shops, cinemas, and restaurants will remain closed till 3 pm, according to the notification.
The environmental department warned the citizens about the smog as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city is recorded at 379, after which Lahore became the most polluted city in the world.
The experts advised the citizens to wear face masks and take necessary precautionary measures, in order to combat smog.
The Punjab government officials asked citizens and industrialists to cooperate with the authorities to combat this calamity.
Earlier, The traders and restaurant owners have rejected the Punjab government’s decision to impose smart lockdown due to prevailing smog conditions.
The representatives of the Lahore Restaurant Association and All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran addressed a press conference to oppose the smog lockdown in Punjab. Nisar Chaudhry blamed the Punjab authorities for increasing financial troubles to the restaurant industry for the last three years. –Agencies
