The Environment Department has called for these measures to be enacted immediately, aiming to lessen road traffic and curb pollutant levels.
Work from home announced for all offices in smog-hit areas till end of 2024. In response to worsening air quality, the Punjab government has directed that 50% of employees in provincial offices switch to remote work to help reduce smog across the province.
Punjab Director General of Environment Dr Imran Hamid issued this order, applying it to all government, semi-government, and autonomous institutions.
The notification, dispatched to department heads and secretaries, outlines a plan to halve on-site staff presence, with remaining employees required to work from home.
All inter-departmental meetings are now to be conducted online, and employees commuting to offices must carpool to decrease vehicle emissions contributing to air pollution.
The government’s guidelines extend beyond public offices. A separate directive mandates that private offices, franchises, and NGOs in four divisions—Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Multan—also adopt a 50% remote work model.
This rule for private sector employees will be in place from November 13 to December 31 to mitigate health risks linked to smog.
The notification attributes the rise in smog to increased emissions from vehicles, posing a health risk and elevating respiratory disease cases.
The Environment Department has called for these measures to be enacted immediately, aiming to lessen road traffic and curb pollutant levels.
In addition, the government of Punjab, Pakistan has ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in five more divisions due to the hazardous air quality.
This directive applies to educational institutions in Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, and Sahiwal, with schools remaining closed from November 13 to 17.
