The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a green lockdown notification, aiming to prohibit construction activities in designated areas. Additionally, the entry of auto-rickshaws has also been banned along with the use of commercial generators. As per the notification, outdoor barbecues have also been banned after 8 p.m. in designated areas.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has hinted at launching smog diplomacy between the governments of India and Pakistan. CM Punjab said she would write a letter to Indian CM Bhagwant Mann, calling for a collaborative effort and plan to tackle worsening conditions due to smog on both sides of the border.

Smog has become a major challenge for the Punjab government, which is struggling to deal with the rapid damage it is inflicting on the air quality of Lahore and other parts of the Punjab province.

In recent days, hospitals have reported numerous cases of young children suffering from pediatric and respiratory problems. Doctors in Lahore estimate that cases have increased by at least 50 percent in a month.

“The situation is much worse than the previous year and is affecting the health of children,” said Dr Maria Iftikhar, senior registrar at the pediatric ward at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Experts said the Punjab government has been forced into an emergency situation due to smog and is currently taking precautionary measures and measures to protect its citizens from the dangerous air quality.

However, banning the use of rickshaws, banning barbecues in restaurants and stopping the use of commercial generators are measures that cannot be sustained for too long and would attract public criticism against the government.

“The government’s green initiative is a time-limited precautionary measure aimed at stopping the spread and effects of smog. But this situation cannot last too long, as its effects will be directly felt on the livelihoods of the population. Rickshaw drivers, restaurant owners and closure of schools will have a direct impact on the livelihood of the people and this decision will be criticized by the masses as well as the political opposition,” said Imran Gabol, analyst and resident of Lahore.