Pakistan: Lahore High Court directs schools to provide transport services to deal with fog

Pakistan: In an effort to address the region’s escalating pollution problem, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered Punjabi schools to provide pick-and-drop services for pupils after the winter break on Friday. According to ARY News, the judgment was made by Justice Shahid Karim at a hearing on petitions pertaining to smog control measures.

The court emphasized that students must utilize the transportation that the school provides and threatened to take severe measures against institutions that disregard the ruling, including closing non-compliant schools. Additionally, Justice Karim prohibited schools from publishing disclaimers that released them from their responsibility for transportation.

The court also gave transport officials a 15-day deadline to create a vehicle fitness policy. Vehicles will be inspected every three months under this program, and the transport department will issue fitness certifications.

To guarantee compliance, a thorough database of both private and public buses must be kept up to date, according to ARY News.

The Punjab administration had earlier said that parks, zoos, playgrounds, and museums will reopen due to improved air quality. The province-wide resumption of outdoor activities, such as sporting events and festivals, was announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“In light of the recent improvement in Air Quality Index, all outdoor activities, including public & private parks, zoos, playgrounds, historical places, monuments, museums, joylands, playlands, outdoor sports events, exhibitions and festivals, shall be resumed from 22-11-2024 (Friday) in the whole province till 8:00 pm,” the notice read.

According to healthcare monitoring officials, Punjab’s public health has been badly affected by the pollution problem, with over 75,000 individuals seeking medical attention for respiratory ailments in a single day. With 5,353 respiratory patients and hundreds of people with asthma, heart conditions, and strokes, Lahore had the most instances.

According to The Express Tribune on November 17, the province administration responded to the problem by announcing a health emergency in the Lahore and Multan divisions, which resulted in the closure of schools and outdoor spaces for two weeks.

With more than 1.9 million respiratory illnesses recorded in the last month alone, hospitals are still overburdened even if artificial rain brings some respite. Officials from the health department reassured the public that comprehensive plans are in place, including 24-hour services and the termination of medical staff leave.