Air pollution: A persistent threat to lives of Peshawarites

PESHAWAR, Jan 03 : Once known as City of Flowers, Peshawar is presently confronted with a monster challenge of air pollution that are posing a serious threat to its residents due to an unchecked smoke emission of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, brick kilns and industrial units mostly operating in its urban areas.
The visitors that once impressed by the fragrance of Gul-e-Dawoodi in Peshawar, is now inhaling the growing thick air smoke mostly emitting from thousands of vehicles, brick-kilns, marble units of Warsak Road and chip board factories operating at Hayatabad Industrial Estate, burning of tyres, hospitals waste’s burning, which could be seen even with a naked eye while standing on top of Suray bridge near Jinnah Park, Peshawar City.
In Peshawar, the Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) pollution is higher than limits set by the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) with a bigger impact on people’s lives having more exposure to toxic air increases age-specific mortality risk.
“The PM 2.5 pollution enhances an age-specific mortality risk, and the residents of Peshawar are highly vulnerable to it mostly due to an unregulated traffic, brik kilns and chip boards factories,” said Professor Dr Muhammad Shafiqur Rehman, former Chairman Environmental Science Department at the University of Peshawar while talking to APP.
“Basically, PM 2.5 pollution is a complex mixture of extremely small and light particles that stays for longer in the air and once inhaled, can affect people’s hearts, nose to lungs, respiratory system besides leading to high blood pressure, strokes, asthma, cancers and other chronic chest related diseases,” he said.
Dr Shafiqul Rehman said that the air quality of Peshawar is very poor. He said air quality should be around 25 milligrams (mg) per cubic meter as per WHO standards, adding if the amount of dust, smoke, and zeolite content in the atmosphere exceeds the WHO limit; it is detrimental to the health of living creatures.
He said Peshawar was a geographically and climatically dry city and due to inadequate rainfall, particles of dirt and dust collect up in large amounts in the air and add to the environmental and air pollution.
He said that recent studies revealed that smoke and dust in Peshawar’s air is measured between five to 10 feet height where PM2.5 pollution is almost four times higher than NEQS standards and needs special urgent measures to control it.
Dr Sharique Rehman said the research studies further revealed that emissions from the transport sector constitute a significant portion of overall pollution in Peshawar, accounting for 58.5% while other contributors include roadside dust (17.7%), domestic burning (11.7%), industry (6.6%), waste burning (4.10%), and commercial burning (1.4%).
“The quantity of Nitrogen Dioxide at most of the points has also exceeded NEQS limits, and that its increase can cause lung irritation and weaken body defense against respiratory infections,” he said.
“Air pollution first hits the ENT and then attacks a person’s lungs. It severely affects the heart and respiratory system besides causing strokes, asthma and cancers, killing thousands of people mostly children every year worldwide,” said Dr Riaz Khan, Principal Medical Officer at Government Hospital Pabbi Nowshera.
He said air pollution kills about seven million people worldwide per year while pollution-induced-COPD claim approximately 3.23 million lives per year globally. In Pakistan, he said that COPD causes about 138.2 deaths per 100,000 males and 41.3 per 100,000 females.
Besides implementation of national clean air plan and implementation of environment protection act 2014, he said the Ghari Chandan forest in the outskirts of Peshawar has been raised to improve air quality in the historic city.
He referred to establishing of motor vehicle emission standards, setting up tune-up stations for gasoline and diesel vehicles, promoting the use of LPG and bio fuel, implementing industrial emission standards, establishing environmental squads of traffic police and regularly checking the quality of fuel and lubricating oils sold in the market and said that cooperation of masses were key to win fight against the common enemy.
The health department is being technically assisted for speedy disposal of thousands tons of solid waste produced by Government and private hospitals every year, he said adding that hospitals were directed to install incinerators for speedy disposal of solid waste and this process has already begun from Peshawar.
Lady Reading Hospital is the largest solid waste producing hospital with 221,920 kilograms per year and such a large quality can’t be left unattended,” he said, adding first central incinerator plant installed at LRH for its proper disposal.
Hayatabad Medical Complex, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Shaukat Khan Memorial Hospital Peshawar were also equipped with incinerators. These incinerators work on 1200 degree centigrade to destroy waste in a short time without any adverse effects.
A grand operation against pollution emitting steel-mills, chip boards and marble units was launched at Industrial Estate Hayataabad as well as on Warsak Road and notices was issued to it for installation of dry pollution control system besides several sealed on non-compliance.
1st internet of things (IOT) based Air Quality Monitoring Gadget in KP has been installed at District Government Office Peshawar, especially designed to detect toxic elements in the air. The machine is designed to sense air quality and temperature, the humidity present in it and the dust, carbon dioxide levels present in the air besides allowing environmentalists to devise pragmatic solutions.
The ban on use and preparations of unsolvable plastic bags has been imposed and only biodegradable plastic bags were allowed in markets, he said, adding operation is conducted in Peshawar, DI Khan, Swat and Peshawar against unsolvable plastic bags units.
Vehicles Emission Testing Stations (VETS) are being strengthened to regulate unregistered vehicles, and ban on smoke emitting vehicles imposed besides installation of dry pollution control system, adoption of safe energy resources and whopping plantations in urban areas to control air pollution.