WHO’s recently released air quality report ranked Peshawar and Rawalpindi as the 2nd and 5th most polluted cities of the world, respectively. The average Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 measurement for Peshawar was 540, and that of Rawalpindi 448. This clearly shows that the air quality of these two cities is alarmingly poor. Air Pollution is a grave issue jeopardising the health of many citizens with diseases like stroke, lung cancer, respiratory and coronary illnesses. Annually, the dangerous quantity of particulate matter in the air claims the lives of almost 7 million people in the world. The ranking must act as a wake-up call for all and sundry in Pakistan and collective efforts are required to rectify the problem.
I urge governments to adopt eco-friendly policies and clean energy projects. Unplanned urbanization must be stopped. Effective monitoring systems must be set in place in order to check the high emissions of vehicles and industries. Citizens must also realize their responsibilities towards their environment by minimizing vehicular use and cutting down the extravagant use of AC’s and generators. Trees are the natural air filters and tree plantation campaigns must strongly be pursued by governments and individuals. Let us make our environment safe for us. Let us protect our environment so that our environment may protect us.
Fakeha Faiz,
Islamabad
