LAHORE: The Punjab government has launched a project to install cameras in buses of Workers Welfare Schools to ensure the safety of students.
The initiative was started on the directions of Punjab Minister for Labour and Human Resource, Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar.
The minister said the project aims to provide complete security to children of labourers during their travel from home to school and back. Cameras will be installed in buses of all 73 Workers Welfare Schools across Punjab, enabling real-time monitoring.
He added that the cameras will also help monitor the behaviour of bus staff with students. The project will be completed as quickly as possible.
ALSO READ
Rawalpindi getting 80 electric buses on 10 routes
Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar further announced that free uniforms will be provided to students. Currently, more than 50,000 children of labourers are studying in Workers Welfare Schools across the province.
Earlier, the Punjab government distributed free books among the students of Workers Welfare Schools to promote education and provide relief to labourers’ families.
In another development, the Punjab government has introduced a modern Air Quality Forecast System to control air pollution. This is the first system of its kind in Pakistan that will predict both weather conditions and pollution levels. It will help reduce pollution in major cities, including Lahore and Faisalabad, and will also issue weekly reports for the public.
Senior Punjab Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, while inaugurating the system, said it combines real-time monitoring with advanced scientific models and works in coordination with international models like Windy and Euro. The system uses data from newly installed air quality monitoring stations across the province.
ALSO READ
Punjab forms high-powered committee to prevent sectarian tensions
She said Punjab currently has 41 monitoring stations, which will be increased to 100 in the coming days. The system will not only measure pollution levels and weather patterns but also provide citizens with safety guidelines to protect their health.
Maryam Aurangzeb added that, under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision, this advanced system will provide a scientific foundation for policymaking. It is part of Punjab’s Smog Control Plan, which includes action against crop residue burning, vehicle emissions, and industrial smoke.
She urged citizens to cooperate with the government in its efforts to fight pollution and advised the elderly, children, and people with respiratory issues to take special care during smog periods and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
