School children in Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, are now restricted from outdoor exercise until January due to dangerous smog levels, officials announced on Friday.
The eastern megacity, situated close to the Indian border, frequently ranks among the world’s most polluted cities and this week recorded air quality over 20 times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) safe limit.
Smog is particularly bad in winter as a result of low-grade fuel from factories and vehicles in the low-lying megacity of 14mn, where denser cold air traps emissions at ground level.
Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore is also a major contributing factor.
This week the Environmental Protection Agency of eastern Punjab province said that outdoor school activities in Lahore would end from Monday.
A Punjab School Education Department spokesperson told AFP on Friday the ban would last for three months until January 31.
School hours will also be cut in the morning to prevent children from traveling when the pollution is most punishing.
Read More: Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma released from district jail Jehlum
Lessons will start no earlier than 8:45 am (0345 GMT), cutting 15 minutes off learning hours for public schools and more than an hour for most private schools.
Inhaling toxic air poses severe health risks, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that prolonged exposure can lead to conditions such as strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses.
UNICEF reports that approximately 600 million children in South Asia are subjected to dangerously high levels of air pollution.
In Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, schools are increasingly affected by extreme summer heat and severe smog during the winter months.
