Islamabad, Nov 4 (EFE).- The government of Punjab province, in eastern Pakistan, ordered the closure of all primary schools in its capital, Lahore, from Monday, due to the high levels of air pollution recorded in recent days, reaching up to 45 times above the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).<\/p>
\u201cAll primary schools including both public and private for classes up to 5th grade are closed from today in Lahore,\u201d Ahad Hussain, a spokesperson for the education department of Punjab, told EFE.<\/p>
\u201cThe schools are closed from Monday to Friday initially but the closure can be extended if the pollution is not controlled,\u201d he said, adding that a decision would be taken on Friday regarding the extension of the school closure after considering the pollution levels.<\/p>
Last week, Lahore recorded the highest levels of air pollution among different cities across the world; on Sunday it recorded PM 2.5 levels – tiny particles with a diameter less than 2.5 microns and extremely harmful to health – of 674 micrograms per cubic meter of air, according to data from the swiss platform specialized in air quality measurement, IQAir.<\/p>
This figure exceeds 45 times the levels recommended by the WHO.<\/p>
Despite a significant drop, air toxicity levels remained high on Monday, with most monitoring stations reflecting a PM 2.5 concentration of between 200 and 300 micrograms per cubic meter.<\/p>
On Thursday last week, the Punjab government had imposed restrictions, such as the complete halt of construction activities in 11 areas identified as hot spots of pollution and a ban on the use of commercial generators and motorcycle taxis.<\/p>
The provincial government has also recommended the city\u2019s residents to avoid leaving their homes without masks and stay hydrated, and that they wash their faces at short intervals.<\/p>
According to the regional government, part of the problem comes from the Indian state of Punjab, which borders Pakistan and where large quantities of biomass are burned at this time of year, emitting pollutants that can be carried by the wind to the neighboring country.<\/p>
Pakistani Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly expressed her desire to work with Indian Punjab to combat smog jointly. EFE <\/p>
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