Punjab Asks Schools to Promote Carpooling as Lahore AQI Nears 200
Punjab Asks Schools to Promote Carpooling as Lahore AQI Nears 200
The Punjab government has advised schools across the province to promote carpooling among students, parents and staff, as part of a widening effort to hold back smog ahead of the peak winter season.
The Punjab school carpooling plan was announced by Environment Director General Abdullah Nair Sheikh, who directed school administrations to help arrange shared transport for students travelling from the same neighbourhoods or along common routes.
Punjab school carpooling plan targets morning traffic
According to the director general, congestion around schools during morning hours, vehicle exhaust and slow-moving traffic push up particulate pollution levels. He said cutting the number of vehicles making unnecessary trips was essential to any serious anti-smog effort.
School administrations, parents and students were all asked to play their part. The director general stressed that carpooling arrangements should not place any extra financial burden on parents or students. Detailed recommendations for running the scheme have been sent to the school education department.
Lahore air quality stays unhealthy
The province’s air quality dashboard painted a grim picture on Monday morning. Winds in Lahore were blowing from the southeast at five kilometres per hour, and the city’s Air Quality Index stood at 170. The Environmental Protection Agency’s real-time monitors recorded an overall AQI of 193 at 9:00am, rising to 197 by 7:00pm.
Wagah Border was the most polluted spot in the evening at 391, classified as very unhealthy. Multan Road recorded 258 and Barki Road 198. IQAir’s independent data put Lahore at 167 at 8:00pm, with PM2.5 at 78 micrograms per cubic metre, ranking the city 10th in Pakistan in its real-time table.
Crackdown on polluters continues
Enforcement teams stayed busy over the past 24 hours. Twenty-one industrial units were inspected across Punjab; four were sealed, two cases were registered and fines of Rs300,000 were imposed for environmental violations. Seventy brick kilns were also inspected, one was sealed and fined Rs100,000. Officials confiscated 18 kilogrammes of plastic, sprinkled water over 1,006 kilometres of roads and issued 301 warnings against burning solid waste, tyres, rubber and plastic.
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the anti-smog measures were not a temporary campaign but part of a long-term plan for lasting environmental improvement. She said giving farmers alternatives to burning crop residue remained a government priority.
Authorities also cautioned farmers against burning rice stubble after harvest, warning that it damages soil fertility and spreads respiratory illness. Growers were advised to mix the residue into the soil instead, a practice officials say builds organic matter for the next crop.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Punjab school carpooling plan?
Schools have been advised to organise shared transport for students, parents and staff travelling from the same areas, to reduce morning traffic emissions that feed smog.
Will carpooling cost parents extra?
No. The environment department has said the arrangements must not impose any additional financial burden on parents or students.
How bad is Lahore’s air quality right now?
Lahore’s AQI touched 197 in the evening, with Wagah Border at a very unhealthy 391. PM2.5 levels remain far above safe limits.
