LAHORE: To control the emissions from transportation that are exacerbating the smog situation in the province, the Punjab Environment Department (PED) on Tuesday ordered that 50 percent of the office staff of all the government, semi-government, and autonomous institutions across Punjab will work remotely from home.
According to another notification, private offices, franchises, and NGOs in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Multan will be required to call in only 50% of their staff to work from the office, while the remaining 50% will work remotely from home. This policy will be effective from November 13 to December 31, 2024, according to both the notifications issued by DG of Environment Punjab, Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh. The measures have been taken on the directives of CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Senior Minister Punjab Maryam Aurangzeb.
Likewise, in response to the worsening air quality, educational authorities have decided to close schools in several divisions, including Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi, to protect the health of students and staff. As part of these orders, all schools up to the 12th grade will shift to online learning, with physical classes suspended. The closure and shift to online education will remain in effect until November 17, 2024.
According to the notifications issued for 50 percent online working, the department claims that in a bid to reduce traffic congestion and tackle the rising smog levels, the Punjab government has ordered that 50% of office staff will work online. Explaining the move, the memo says only 50% of the staff will be required to report to their offices physically, while the remaining 50% will work remotely from home. Additionally, inter-departmental meetings will now be conducted online to minimize the need for physical presence further.
The memo also mandates that employees who report to the office must carpool to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads. The decision applies to all government, semi-government, and autonomous institutions across Punjab. The move is part of the government’s efforts to combat the growing levels of smog, which are being exacerbated by emissions from transportation. The reduction in traffic is seen as a crucial step in improving air quality and public health.
All the orders by the EPA have been issued U/S 6(1) (t) of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997 and any contravention to these orders will be punished u/s 188 PPC, the notifications warned.
All the government and semi-government institutions had also been asked to prepare emergency plans for the mitigation of smog. In addition, commissioners and deputy commissioners across Punjab had been instructed to take urgent measures for smog control. The environmental department has called for swift actions to reduce pollution and protect public health as the smog levels continue to rise, said the spokesman of the department.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024