The Punjab government announced on Tuesday that all educational institutions up to the higher secondary level in the province will be closed from tomorrow until the end of the week, shifting them to an online mode as the province deals with the hazardous smog situation that has been prevalent for the past few weeks.

It is also expected that the educational lockdown placed throughout the province may extend.

The present smog situation in Punjab was termed a "calamity" last month. Schools in the province's four main divisions—Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Multan—have been closed till November 17 in an effort to reduce children's pollution exposure.

Separately, to prevent smog exposure, public parks, zoos, playgrounds, and museums will not be open to the public until November 17.

Over 11 million children under five were exposed to smog in Punjab's worst-hit regions, according to a statement made a day ago by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) representative in Pakistan, who called for immediate and increased efforts to minimize air pollution.

In a notification, the province's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that all educational institutions [...] up to the higher secondary level will remain closed and switch to an online learning environment starting on November 13 in the divisions of [...] DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi [...] until November 17.

The closure of schools was also announced by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat during a news conference, stating that the "decision was made in light of the complaints received from the district."

According to the APP, the NDMA advise urged that the public take numerous steps to alleviate the impacts of smog, including avoiding excessive outside exposure during peak smog hours, particularly in the morning, and wearing masks while outdoors.

Staying hydrated, utilizing dehumidifiers and air purifiers to improve interior air quality, and adopting efficient transportation methods such as carpooling and eco-friendly driving, as well as employing COx and NOx filters, are all recommended.