The Punjab government on Friday gave an undertaking to the Lahore High Court (LHC) that it would close down all schools from December 23 until the first week of January 2022, in a smog case.
A law officer representing the provincial government appeared before the court and gave an undertaking that the schools would be shut down from December 23 to the first week of January. Justice Shahid Karim, who was hearing the case, directed the Punjab government to submit a copy of the notification in the court.
During the proceedings, Advocate Sheraz Zaka and other lawyers argued that the government was not taking smog as a serious issue and the measures required to control it were also not taken. Justice Karim expressed serious concern over this and remarked, “The closure of schools will help in the fight against smog and the flow of traffic will also improve.”
He directed the relevant authorities to take measures to fight smog and directed the Punjab School Department secretary to submit a copy of the notification on the next hearing on December 20.
Advocate Sheraz Zaka and others had filed the petitions and submitted that climate change was the greatest threat and if it was not dealt with revolutionary zest then the future generations would face cataclysmic consequences. He said that smog was badly affecting the lives of the citizens and asked the court to direct the relevant authorities to take measures to control it.
Earlier in a report, Punjab Environmental Protection Agency had revealed that 1.5 million vehicles ply the city’s roads and get stuck up, and their idling causes wastage of 1.125 million liters of fuel per hour and causes six million pounds of CO2 emissions besides other pollutants. He asked the court that therefore, the traffic flow should not be hindered.
The petitioners’ counsel submitted before the court that the traffic mess, fuel and smoke arising out of it badly pollute the environment, causing serious trouble for the citizens. The emission from the vehicles stuck up on the roads contribute majorly to air pollution. The noise pollution is another problem that has made Lahore unlivable. Every citizen in the city, the petitioner said, was suffering from air pollution and noise besides.
He asked the court to order the Punjab government to take immediate steps to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and curb environmental pollution for the larger public interest as Lahore has turned into one of the most polluted cities of the world.
