Islamabad: The Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) recently announced that it had recorded the cleanest air quality index over the capital city in several years, according to news sources.
Reportedly, the particulate matter has dropped to 25 micrograms per cubic meter, which is quite a few meters lower than the standards (35 micrograms per cubic meter) communicated by the World Health Organisation and the Pak-EPA.
The
improved quality is associated with the overall decline in industrial
activities, construction, solid waste, and traffic pollution.
Pak-EPA Director General Farzana Altaf Shah said that
traffic (especially diesel vehicles) are the major contributor to air pollution
in the city (amounting to 43%). She revealed that Islamabad has a high
population and vehicular growth rate owing to the absence of a good mass
transport infrastructure. She expressed hope that this brief period of cleaner
air should incline people to pursue long-term changes.
Hazafa reveres the art of writing and has been turned into a property enthusiast by profession. Her daily survival kit includes; tea, coffee, keyboard and paperbacks.
