PESHAWAR: With dense fog enveloping the capital and plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for around a week, the quality of air in Peshawar reached “hazardous” levels in the last five days, point out the local air monitors.

The air quality index in the provincial capital reported a hazardous level for five days and very unhealthy for three days since Jan 1, according to the data of air monitors available on the website of the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.

It showed that the capital’s AQI record for the particulate matter was 287 (very unhealthy) on Jan 1 and hazardous for the next three days.

The city’s particulate matter concentration was 356 on Jan 1, 331 on Jan 2 and 314 on Jan 3. However, the situation got a little better on Jan 5 and 6. The air quality improved with the particulate matter in the air dropping to the “very unhealthy level” but on Sunday and Monday, that concentration again surged to “hazardous level” recording 351 and 332, respectively.

Expert calls for elimination of pollution at source

The data of air quality monitors from the US Consulate Peshawar also recorded the consistent deterioration of air quality in the provincial capital fluctuating between very unhealthy, hazardous and very hazardous.

Dawar Hameed Butt, a climate policy specialist, told Dawn that cold weather prevented pollutants from dispersing and therefore, air quality deteriorated in cold, foggy conditions.

He said elimination of pollution at source could help improve air quality since it was what caused emissions to go to higher levels.

The Environmental Health Strategy, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2015-19 – a study funded by the World Health Organisation and authored by Khyber Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq – noted that KP faced several complex and difficult environmental health challenges.

“Some of these challenges are in common with the rest of the country such as water, sanitation, air quality and waste management while others were much more localised such as electronic waste, indoor air quality, environmental health in emergency and climate change.

There are several departments/agencies responsible for managing environmental risks and hazards, but none have the mandate of protecting human health from environmental health hazards. There is lack of coordination and collaboration between environmental and health departments and with other stakeholders,“ it read.

The study said the level of awareness of the linkage between environment and health was not up to the mark.

It added that there was very limited engagement of the health sector in motivating action by other sectors for health protection. Availability of evidence-based information in environmental health for sound policies and decision-making is extremely limited.

The study proposed the establishment of the Environmental Health Protection Unit (EHPU) at the health department to take the key role in linking health with the environment.

“The launching of the proposed EHPU may be a vital factor in implementing this strategy and may play a key role in protecting and promoting safer and healthier life in the province,” it said.

Referring to a report of the provincial environmental protection agency, the study said Peshawar was the province’s most polluted city with CO emission reaching 23ppm against 10ppm set by the World Health Organisation.

“In Peshawar, which borders Afghanistan, the large influx of Afghan transporters has greatly increased air pollution. Afghan refugees living for several years have also led to a greater demand for food, shelter, transportation and manufacturing activities affecting air quality,” it said.

The study said untreated industrial affluent, rural and urban sewage, agricultural, industrial and municipal wastes were released into rivers and open drains.

It said hazardous wastes could cause neurotoxicity, muscle weakness, loss of sensation, tremors, cognitive alterations and autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and hepatitis A and B, Aids and typhoid.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2024