Peshawar: An important meeting regarding air quality of the province, held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair, comprehensively deliberated on issues related to air quality in the province, particularly in the provincial capital, and made numerous important decisions to this end. Besides provincial cabinet members, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and Pir Musawir Shah, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, relevant administrative secretaries, and other senior officials, also attended the meeting.
It was decided in the meeting to introduce an Electric Vehicle Policy in the province to address air pollution challenges, in addition to finalizing an action plan aimed at improving the Air Quality Index (AQI) and controlling the smog in Peshawar and adjacent districts.The proposed action plan will be presented to the provincial cabinet for final approval. To ensure effective implementation of the plan, a task force will also be established. Moreover, the action plan proposes various short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures, assigning responsibilities to all relevant departments and institutions.
Additionally, a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary Planning & Development will be established to oversee the measures and efforts of all relevant departments and institutions. A modern control room will be set up for real-time monitoring of the Air Quality in Peshawar and surrounding districts. The meeting also decided to install an Emission Monitoring System to regularly monitor industrial emissions and develop a mechanism for emission testing of vehicles at entry and exit points of Peshawar.
The process of issuing vehicle fitness certificates will be digitized, and brick kilns across the province will be registered and shifted to Zigzag Technology in phased manner. Relevant authorities on this occasion, were directed to strictly enforce the decision to close the illegal crushing plants in the province and take strict action against industrial units causing air pollution. Similarly, action will be taken against petrol pumps selling substandard fuel, and Air Quality Monitoring Stations will be established at all divisional headquarters.
Moreover, Air Purification Towers will be installed in Peshawar, and steps will be taken to enhance the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency. In the first phase, regional offices of the agency will be established. To reduce smog and air pollution, effective and meaningful collaboration will be established between relevant departments, academia, and donor agencies. A public awareness campaign will also be launched to educate people about the negative effects of Air Pollution, and environment-friendly trees will be planted on a large scale during the upcoming plantation campaign.
During the briefing, the meeting was informed about the current air quality in Peshawar, factors harming the air quality, and other related issues. It was noted that the largest contributor to air pollution is the transport sector, responsible for 58% of air pollution, followed by road side dust, which contributes 17%.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that air pollution is a critical issue, and immediate measures are necessary to prevent it from becoming a more serious problem, adding that his government was committed to effectively addressing this challenge. “Identifying the contributing factors accurately and devising a comprehensive and practical strategy to address them is the need of the hour”,he remarked and assured that the government will prioritize providing the necessary resources for the implementation of the action plan.
The Chief Minister directed that timelines be set for the implementation of proposed measures to ensure better outcomes, and an effective coordination system should be established among all relevant departments and institutions. He emphasized taking steps to address the issue of smoke emitting vehicles while ensuring that no one’s livelihood is affected. Special attention should be given to planting trees and green belt in government offices, roadsides, and other public places, while ensuring the regular cleaning of roads in urban areas, he directed. Furthermore, he directed the educational institutions to take special initiatives to raise awareness among children about air pollution.
