Trans-boundary effects multiplying air pollution in Pakistan: DG Pak-EPA

Director General (DG) of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Asif Shuja Khan in his exclusive talk with Pakistan Today said after the devolution of environment ministry last year, environmental issues in the country are getting harder to resolve. “Trans-boundary issues urgently need attention but with the power of ministry given to provinces, this is proving to be a hard task especially the implementation.” Khan said.
“Trans-boundary effects are aggravating air pollution in Pakistan posing a threat to human health and environment. The trans boundary air pollution from neighbouring countries further aggravates air quality in our cities,” Pak-EPA chief said expressing concern on high pollution levels, mainly due to emission from vehicles, industrial activities and fine natural dust and aerosols. The DG said no country in the world could launch any project before its trans-boundary environmental impact assessment is thoroughly reviewed and other neighboring countries are taken on board.
After the environment ministry’s devolution, Pak-EPA is now an attached department of the Ministry of National Disaster Management and responsible to implement the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 in the country.
Talking about its purpose, Asif Shuja Khan said an Act to provide for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of environment, for the prevention and control of pollution, and promotion of sustainable development, Pak-EPA also provides all kinds of technical assistance to the Ministry of National Disaster Management.
The training programme by JICA experts will enable Pak-EPA to maintain high reliability of data and take regulatory measures to offset the environmental problems, he added. Asif Shuja Khan highly appreciated assistance by the Government of Japan to impart training through highly qualified and experienced Japanese experts.
The DG said Pakistan is strategically located at the junction of Middle East and South Asia with a population of around 180 million people and over 80 per cent urban pollution is caused by vehicles’ emissions. Over the years Pakistan has witnessed a rapid growth in vehicles that has aggravated road congestion. “The vehicle emission is a serious public health and environmental problem in Pakistan, particularly in urban areas,” he said adding the agency has taken measures to minimize lead ratio in fuel.
“Unfortunately, people are least aware of environmental hazards and more unfortunate is that it affects the health of every individual. In Pakistan, the maximum allowable limit of sulphur in High Speed Diesel (HSD) is 1.0%, which is the highest in the region. The combination of HSD with obsolete vehicle technology leads to unsafe levels of emission of smoke, soot, and Particulate Matter (PM). PM from vehicles is mostly fine and ultra-fine in size, and can be inhaled deep into the lungs resulting in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increased risk of lung cancer and premature death. But, now we have considerably brought down the percentage of sulphur to 0.05, the DG maintained.
He said the government has notified the adoption of Euro standards introduction of Euro II compliant petrol vehicles, and Euro II compliant diesel vehicles, for this, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources will ensure availability of Euro II compliant diesel with low sulphur i.e. 500 ppm by July 2012.
Talking about the project entitled “Greening the Steel Industry” carried out by Pak-EPA, DG said this project has made some progress as one of the eight steel mills in the capital installed equipment to control emissions of pollutants.
“The bag-house filter is proven technology worldwide to control 99 per cent emissions of dangerous pollutants from chimneys,” said Director General Pak-Epa Asif Shuja who had given four months to the owners of steel mills in the capital industrial sectors to install the environment-friendly equipment.
After a lot of pushing by the government, Pak-EPA and the owners of the steel mills signed a resolution supporting the agency to make Islamabad pollution-free in general and the industrial area in particular.
“The equipments are to be installed in all the industries in Islamabad and later our focus will be on provinces. Those who do not want these equipments to be installed, better shut off their industry,” Asif Shuja Khan categorically said.
Talking about noise pollution, Pak-EPA chief said the agency has established continuous air quality monitoring system in five major cities, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta with the grant assistance of Government of Japan. “This system is now generating air quality data through fixed and mobile stations and it shows presence of high suspended particulate matter in the air. Pak-EPA, with a view to strengthen technical expertise of Environmental Protection Agencies to independently operate recently established Air Quality Monitoring System and laboratories and the training programme would build capacity of Provincial EPAs and other concerned department,” he added.
The training programmes are target oriented whereby each EPAs will carry out monitoring of industrial units, municipal installations and ambient air in a specific time frame. The JICA expert will evaluate performance of EPAs and individual participants and its experts will propose uniform methodology for analysis of national standards parameters.
Quoting an example of noise pollution, the DG said, “I was in Norway, and while hitting a nail in a wall, the neighbour knocked the door and said you are making noise pollution – do it when I leave my home,” he said smilingly adding in our country even the bumper of a vehicle has ‘push the horn – and take your way’ inscribed on it.