- November 17, 2024
- Posted by: Muhammad Shehzad
- Category: RBS News
Islamabad, November 16, 2024: Considering the general public’s rising smog concerns, the Chairman CDA, Mr Mohammad Ali Randhawa, stated that Islamabad’s Air Quality is under control. According to the chairman, the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded on November 13, 2024, was 192, which is manageable.
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The commissioner and chairman of CDA held a meeting. Participants included;
- representatives from the Islamabad police,
- the Ministry of Climate Change’s Environment Decision,
- Pakistan’s Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA),
- CDA’s Environment Wing,
- and the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICT).
The AQI calculated by Pak-EPA includes the pollutants particulate matter (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide (C O). The DG of Pak-EPA insisted on such constant alertness steering for enhanced and consistent AQI reporting to the public.
In addition, regarding managing industrial emissions, Randhawa mentioned that since Islamabad is not an industrialized city, the industrial sector appears relatively well-controlled.
They also add that to eliminate poor air quality, authorities must impose strict ‘zero emission’ standards for vehicles. This is a mandatory car fitness test and extreme precaution like FIRs against black and big public vehicles emitting smoke.
CDA on Improving Islamabad’s Air Quality
To improve air quality, CDA will closely monitor the emission hotspots and border areas. Sprinkling water at construction sites will ensure dust suppression. The authorities will also use safe city cameras to closely monitor fire, dumping, and waste burning.
An awareness campaign to educate residents about smog-related health risks is also in the pipeline. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Islamabad Police FM will air health advisories.
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CDA Hospital, with other public-sector hospitals, will host the symposium and awareness walk to encourage the public on preventive measures against smog. Islamabad’s air quality is a matter of concern for residents and authorities, so measures should be taken to combat the situation. The citizens are pledged to wear masks in the smog-high zones and follow the instructions from the administration strictly.