The Punjab government declared on Friday a health emergency in Lahore and Multan as the provincial capital maintained its position as the most polluted city in the world in terms of its air.

Addressing a presser, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has made a 10-year plan for smog, together with all sectors and departments, and “the sectors were given targets”.

PM urges nation to offer Salat-Al-Istisqa

She announced a further extension in school closures in smog-hit areas across the province.

“The schools will remain closed for another week due to the hazardous air quality,” she said.

Moreover, the minister said that colleges and universities will switch to online classes to ensure the safety of students.

For the past few weeks, Lahore has been enduring hazardous smog prompting the government to close schools and ban outdoor activities.

Lahore’s air quality remained hazardous on Thursday, with an index score of 1172 according to IQAir.

Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore contributes to toxic air, which the WHO says can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Special smog counters to triage patients have also been established at clinics across Punjab.

SC’s constitutional bench seeks reports from provinces on actions against pollution

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Supreme Court (SC) sought reports from all four provinces on climate change measures including the prevailing smog situation.

A six-judge bench comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan took up a petition on environmental pollution.

Justice Mandokhail said that environmental pollution is a nationwide issue and highlighted that vehicle smoke is a major cause of pollution.

He stressed the entire country was facing a “serious environmental issue”..