Hundreds of heavy trucks, entering and leaving the industrial area everyday were causing air and noise pollution in the federal capital, causing disturbance among the sector’s residents.
Resident of the industrial areas told APP that the numbers of noise, dust and smoke complaints from the area were steadily increasing with each passing day.
Shahid Ali, one of the complainants, had been working in an automobile painting shop in the sector for over 10 years and is an asthma patient. Attributing his problem to the presence of smoke and dust in the industrial area, he said hundreds of trucks enter and leave this area.
“My shop is located at Potohar Road, and over 200 trucks use this road daily,” he said.
Aslam Khan, a resident of Sector I-9, said scores of trucks used the road daily which created a lot of noise and air pollution.
Muhammad Tahir, another I-10 resident, said one could easily see layers of smoke in the air.
“Throat, nasal and lung problems were quite common in this area,” he said.
Doctors warned that noise and air pollution was injurious to human health.
Dr Aftab Ali Malik of Polyclinic Hospital, remarked that the smoke emitted by trucks could cause respiratory infections, exacerbations of bronchial asthma, and high blood pressure.
He warned that this smoke also contained carcinogens that could cause cancer. The doctor said the dust could cause nasal allergy, asthma and noise hearing problems.
When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police said trucks could only use link roads to enter or leave the city. He said they he would ask his men to keep a vigilant eye on trucks causing noise or air pollution. A CDA official said the civic body had warned factories against polluting environment through notices and would proceed against the smoke emitting or effluent discharging industrial units. He informed that environment protection laws were also being amended.