After a day of some respite, the smog level in Lahore has once again jumped to a hazardous level and taken the city back to the second spot on the list of the most polluted cities in the world.
On the other hand, under the recently imposed smart lockdown to curb smog in eight districts of Punjab, The Mall road in Lahore will remain closed for traffic on Sunday, while all sorts of markets and shops will remain shut.
Lahore city is set to be completely closed today, as business activities in the city will remain suspended all day.
Under the smart smog lockdown, entry of vehicles on The Mall road will be prohibited today.
The deputy commissioner will ensure implementation on the notification of the health department
However, medical stores and shops of food items will remain open on Sunday, while restaurants will be allowed to open after 4pm.
Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said pharmacies, medical stores, petrol pumps, bakeries. Scheduled exams and entry tests will be held as per plan, he added.
The restrictions will apply to all the districts of Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad, and Sahiwal, he said.
City Traffic Officer Mustansar Feroze said The Mall road will remain closed for all kinds of traffic till 3pm on Sunday. Citizens will only be able to travel on the road by bicycle and on foot.
The CTO said the Punjab government had taken these measures owing to the rising smog.
Violations of lockdown restrictions
In Lahore, some markets and shops were found open despite restrictions till 4pm, and people were thronging to food joints in Liberty Market, Ichhra and Anarkali Bazaar.
In Faisalabad, the police and administration sprung into action on the orders of caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi against some markets in the city opening up despite orders to close them as part of the smart smog lockdown.
The commissioner, city police officer and deputy commissioner visited various parts of the city and got the open markets and shops closed.
The chief minister directed indiscriminate action against those violating the SOPs, saying that the government was taking all possible measures to reduce smog.
In Gujranwala also, shopkeepers openly flouted the lockdown restrictions imposed by the Punjab government. All the businesses on Shaheenabad, Kangniwala, and Pasrur Road were found open.
In Sialkot also, the administration remained active in enforcing the lockdown. Six hotels and eight business centres were sealed for opening up despite restrictions. The Imam Sahib Sunday bazaar was also sealed.
In Daska, a school and 11 business centres were sealed, while 12 people were arrested for violating lockdown restrictions.
Since Friday, 108 business centres have been sealed and 52 people arrested. The violators were fined Rs508,000.
Meanwhile, the air quality index of Lahore climbed to over 360 on Sunday morning, once again making the city the second most polluted in the world.
Also Read: Educational institutes in Punjab to remain closed on Friday, Saturday
On Nov 23, caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had announced that schools, colleges and all educational institutes will remain closed in 10 districts of the province on Friday and Saturday.
In a press conference following an important meeting on smog in Lahore, the CM had said the decision would apply to Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, and Sahiwal divisions. He also announced that air-purifying towers would be installed in Lahore, while 10,000 students would be given electric motorbikes on subsidy.
Artificial rain will be conducted if the clouds are closer to Lahore on November 29, the CM said, adding he was not in favour of closing markets, so they will open at 3pm on Friday and Saturday.
All kinds of markets will remain closed on Sunday, and The Mall road will be open to only bicycles from morning to 5pm.
Naqvi advised everyone to wear a mask when getting out of their houses. He claimed that the wind from India is impacting Punjab.
