The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Wednesday declared smog a calamity in Punjab.

PDMA Director Nazia Jabeen had penned a letter to the administration. The district administration had been urged to take immediate steps to control the smog in the province.

The PDMA stated, “All the deputy commissioners had been handed over the authority of the relief commissioner’’.

The administration has been urged to stop all the initiatives that are leading to smog in the province. The burning of crop residue has been banned.

The PDMA had directed the administration to launch a crackdown against vehicles that emit smoke.

– Environmental agency declared –

In a decisive move to address the deepening smog crisis, the caretaker Punjab government led by Syed Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday declared an environmental emergency in the province.

The emergency was announced during a meeting convened to review the deteriorating smog situation, chaired by Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi himself.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, the Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police (IG), concerned secretaries, and senior officials.

During the meeting, it was emphasised that the closure of schools and transportation alone would not be sufficient to combat the hazardous smog conditions.

As a measure to protect the health of students, masks have been made mandatory for all school-going children for a period of one month. The caretaker chief minister reiterated the importance of this decision, emphasizing that the well-being of students is paramount.