Schools reopened on Tuesday in three divisions of Punjab as the smog situation improved considerably. The Punjab Education Board has issued a notification to this effect.
The schools have opened in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala divisions. The students and teachers have been instructed to ensure their physical presence and come out of the online studying mode.
However, the schools in Lahore and Multan Divisions will remain closed till further instructions.
The Punjab School Education Department in its notification also announced new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all public and private schools.
According to the SOPs, schools will not open before 8:30 AM, all students, teachers, and staff must wear masks, and outdoor sports and extracurricular activities remain prohibited.
It should be noted that, despite a marked improvement in Lahore’s air quality over the last few days, the Punjab capital, with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 395, was again ranked as the second most polluted city in the world on Tuesday.
The AQI over the DERP office was recorded at 503 followed by the US consulate where it stood at 431. Similarly, it was 312 over Johar Town and 252 over Askari-10.
The Met Office said that there were no chances of rain in Lahore in November.
It predicted that the maximum temperature in the city would reach 25 degrees Celsius later in the day.
On the other hand, Karachi was in the fourth position in the world in terms of extremely poor air quality.
The AQI in the city stood at 196, while Multan, with AQI recorded at 386, emerged as the second most polluted city in the country.
