LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday ordered closure of all the educational institutions in the provincial capital for two days due to environmental pollution caused by smog.
The court ordered the administration to issue a notification for the two-day closure of the educational institutions. The court also ordered demolition of the brick-kilns contaminating the atmosphere and confiscation and auction of the vehicles polluting the environment.
While expressing its concerns over the situation of smog in the city, the court ordered the environment department to amend the rules for the demolition of the brick-kilns. “The brick-kilns that are polluting the environment should be issued a notice first, and then they should be demolished,” the court ordered. It also ordered to file criminal cases against the brick-kilns causing pollution in the environment.
Lahore has been listed as the most polluted city of the world again. Due to smog in the city, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city has been recorded at 394. Indian capital New Delhi is second in the list with AQI at 295 while Pakistan’s financial hub Karachi ranks third with AQI at 291.