Islamabad: Islamabad skilled its most polluted month on report in December 2024, with air high quality deteriorating to hazardous ranges. The Air High quality Index (AQI) reached 250 on December 22, making the air unhealthy for residents and elevating issues over the town’s rising environmental challenges, in accordance with a report by Daybreak.
The rise in air air pollution has been attributed to fast urbanization, rising vehicular emissions, and industrial actions. Daybreak cited information from the Islamabad Excise and Taxation Division, which revealed that over one million automobiles have been registered within the metropolis over the previous decade, whereas an extra half one million enter every day.
These automobiles, together with development actions and emissions from industrial models, contribute considerably to particulate matter (PM2.5) ranges, recognized as the first pollutant. Director of Labs on the Nationwide Environmental High quality Requirements (NEQS), Zaigham Abbas, highlighted the function of brick kilns and metal manufacturing models close to the town as key contributors to air air pollution. Whereas cleaner applied sciences like zigzag kilns and dry scrubbers have been launched, their general influence stays restricted.
The worsening air high quality has led to a rise in well being points. In keeping with Daybreak, Ziaul Haq, a senior pulmonologist on the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), reported an increase in respiratory illnesses, notably in the course of the winter months. He suggested residents to take precautions resembling carrying masks and limiting out of doors actions throughout high-pollution durations, particularly for weak teams.
Regardless of measures resembling banning smoke-emitting automobiles and imposing fines on violators, the authorities have struggled to curb air pollution ranges. Building initiatives, unregulated housing developments, and vehicular emissions proceed to exacerbate the difficulty.
Environmental consultants have referred to as for complete options. Ejaz Ahmed, Senior Programme Fellow on the Institute of Urbanism, emphasised the necessity for sustainable city planning and improved public transportation programs to cut back reliance on personal automobiles.
Information from the Pakistan Environmental Safety Company (Pak-EPA) confirmed that December had 5 “very unhealthy” days, whereas November recorded two. PM2.5 ranges persistently exceeded permissible limits, though different pollution remained inside acceptable ranges.
The rising air pollution ranges spotlight the pressing want for coordinated efforts to enhance Islamabad’s air high quality and mitigate the well being dangers posed to its residents.
