LHC orders private organizations to allows 50pc employs to work from home as smog covers Lahore

LHC orders private organizations to allows 50pc employees to work from home as smog covers Lahore

In response to the city's growing haze, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered private businesses to allow 50% of their staff to work from home on Thursday.


According to local media reports, Justice Shahid Karim has ordered the competent authorities to hold hearings for personnel working in state-run offices.


Medical professionals warned of an alarming spike in respiratory sickness among children and adults, therefore the court ordered provincial officials to take all necessary efforts to reduce smog.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Water and Environmental Commission suggested that schools in the metropolitan area be closed due to serious air pollution, but the suggestion was rejected by the court.

In addition, Justice Karim directed the authorities to establish a traffic emergency helpline to assist persons with traffic problems.

After the AQI index surged above 500 in sections of the metropolitan, the provincial capital of Punjab has been dubbed the world's second-most polluted city.

As a mixture of micro pollutants, smouldering from seasonal agricultural burn-off, and cooler temperatures condense into smog clouds, the pollution problem in the South Asian country has gotten worse in recent years.

Meanwhile, Hassan Khawar, the Punjab Chief Minister's spokesperson, warned that the situation is not 'dangerous' at the moment, but that if the situation worsens, schools will be closed.