Punjab schools told to limit outdoor activities amid smog

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday directed all public schools to implement the Pre-Smog Action Plan 2026 while organising sports activities for students to protect them from hazardous air pollution during the smog season across the province.

The School Education Department directed all public schools to implement the action plan and take preventive measures to protect students from smog.

According to a notification, the instructions have been issued in line with the Pre-Smog Action Plan 2026 for July-September 2026, prepared under the direction of the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency.

Under the instructions, schools have been told to limit outdoor activities and check the Air Quality Index (AQI) before allowing outdoor workouts or exercises.

Students have been directed to wear face masks during school hours, while schools have been asked to restrict students from playing outdoors during periods of poor air quality.

The department has further instructed students and school administrations to avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure or visits to areas with unhealthy AQI levels or during severe AQI episodes.

Schools have also been directed to keep doors and windows closed to reduce the intake of polluted air.

The department said these measures are aimed at the prevention and mitigation of smog and instructed education authorities to ensure their strict implementation across all schools.

According to a separate notification, the School Education Department constituted committees at the tehsil, district, divisional, and provincial levels to ensure the smooth organisation of sports activities including badminton, hockey, table tennis, cricket, volleyball, athletics, chess, and football to promote sports and maintain students’ physical and mental health.

The department said all committees would issue sports activity calendars starting at the end of next month.

The calendars at the tehsil, district, divisional, and provincial levels would be synchronized to ensure seamless competitions across different tiers.

All schools, including boys’ and girls’ institutions, have been directed to participate in sports activities according to the schedule.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2026