LAHORE, Nov 19 (APP):In view of the dangerous situation of smog, the Punjab government has declared it mandatory to wear face masks for a week in the province.
A formal notification was also issued by the Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department secretary on Sunday on the direction of Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
According to the notification, the step has been taken keeping in view the increasing smog impact on public health. It added, “Hence, it is necessary to take all possible safety measures for prevention and control of airborne diseases. All citizens will wear masks during all kinds of outdoor activities.”
It will be implemented across Lahore division, including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura and Kasur districts; and Gujranwala division, including Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, and Mandi Bahauddin districts. These areas, according to the notification, have the highest deteriorating air quality index.
The wearing of masks has been made mandatory for a week – from November 20 to 26. For months now, the above-mentioned cities of Punjab, specifically Lahore, have been reeling under toxic and hazardous levels of air quality due to the onset of smog, for the ‘fifth season’, as it is called, towards the end of the year.
It is worth mentioning here that provincial metropolis has been consistently retaining its top spot on the list of most polluted cities in the world.
