Air of big cities unhealthy

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Ali Raza
The air quality of the federal capital and two provincial capitals i.e. Lahore and Karachi is unhealthy for the citizens, revealed Economic Survey of Pakistan (ESP) here Thursday.

It is pertinent to mention here that there is no system of checking air quality of the rest of the cities in the country on regular basis. Mobile air monitoring stations are sent to specific areas in case of a need, which is not a proper solution and can not give the exact picture of the air quality of the other cities.

The ESP stated sustainable development is the cornerstone of all efforts by the government, therefore, concern for environment- its protection, renewal and enrichment - has been reckoned as obligation towards the betterment of all the citizens at large.

According to EPA, Pakistan, common gases emitted by vehicles include carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and ozone, all dangerous to human health beyond certain levels of concentration. According to the World Wide Fund (WWF) fact sheet, major air pollutants include: suspended particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, sulphur dioxide, lead & other heavy metals, ground level ozone and fuel wood.

The sources of air pollution have been highlighted as motor vehicles, industry, municipal solid waste, smog and medical waste.

Poly-aromatic hydrocarbons released by diesel-powered vehicles are known carcinogens, while smoke from diesel engines has aggravated already elevated levels of airborne soot, it said. Nitrous oxides are emerging air pollutants with the highest concentrations recorded in Karachi, followed by Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad. Industries located in urban areas are the main source of sulfur dioxide (dangerous to human, animal, and plant life) while brick kilns powered by low-grade coal are notable sources of soot.

According to the data mentioned in the ESP, 2.5 is the standard of Particulate Matter (PM) in the air, which is within the safe limits. It said in the federal capital the PM level was 166, which falls in the category of unhealthy. The same is the case of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab where the PM level was also recorded as 166 through Mobile station at hockey stadium. The PM level in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, was 101 and it falls in the category of unhealthy for sensitive group.

The ESP also quoted the World Bank’s report 2006 according to which an estimated 35 percent of Pakistan’s population living in cities. A substantial body of research demonstrates that high concentrations of suspended particulates in urban areas adversely affect human health, provoking a wide range of respiratory diseases and heart ailments. Given the lack of enforcement of motor vehicle fitness regulations, the increase in air pollution from vehicle population alone could be alarming.

The problem is compounded by the fact that the average life of vehicles in use in the country is quite long. As a result, vehicles in Pakistan are estimated to emit 25 times the amount of carbon monoxide, 20 times the amount of hydrocarbons and 3.6 times the amount of nitrous oxide of an average vehicle in the United States.

Though many cities are adversely affected, air quality monitoring is restricted to the six major cities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi. Ambient concentrations of particulates in these cities lie consistently above the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and are on average two to four times the recommended levels. It said that studies conducted in Lahore and Karachi, the two largest cities; suggest that carbon monoxide, cadmium and lead levels, in particular, may exceed thresholds recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

The ESP said that it was encouraging to note that the government had been quite successful in taking preventive measures to curb the emission of poisonousgases. It said Pakistan had become the largest user of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the world, as per the statistics issued by the International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV). Presently, more than 2 million vehicles are using CNG as fuel and 2,760 CNG stations are operational in different parts of the country (as on April 2009).

The CNG used as has grown substantially in the transport sector, replacing traditional fuels while greatly reducing the pollution load in many urban centers. As a result, Pakistan has the largest fleet of vehicles running on CNG in South Asia, and is third worldwide after Argentina and Brazil.

The latest statistics collected by the Ministry of Environment (MoEnv) suggested that the use of coal in power sector has persistently shown a decreasing trend during the last five years. This has mainly been caused by the conversion of a number of plants to natural gas. Likewise, there has been a considerable reduction in coal usage for domestic purposes.

The use of biomass fuels in unventilated rooms has been identified as the primary cause of indoor air pollution, particularly in rural areas. Women and children are the most affected by it as they are more exposed and vulnerable to smoke inhalation. It said according to a report of the ADB, about 86 percent of rural households and 32 percent of urban households use biomass fuels for cooking purposes.

The ESP said that the GoP had ensured implementation of an Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) to monitor the air quality at both Federal and four Provincial Capitals to help in managing the ever deteriorating air quality in major cities. The government has also given a road map for introducing Euro-II compliant vehicles in the country under the given road map. The Euro-II compliant Petrol Vehicles shall be introduced from 1st July, 2009.

The ESP also linked the environmental degradation with the poverty because of the overwhelming dependence of the poor on natural resources for their livelihoods - whether agriculture, forestry, fisheries and hunting etc. Poverty combined with a burgeoning population and rapid urbanization, is leading to intense pressures on the environment.

It also stated that country’s natural resources are increasingly under stress due to rapid population growth and environmentally unsustainable practices and collective estimated environmental degradation costs the country at least 6 percent of GDP or about Rs. 365 billion per year, and these costs fall disproportionately upon the poor.

The most significant causes of environmental damage include illness and premature mortality caused by air pollution (indoor and outdoor), (almost 50 percent of the total damage cost); Diarrhea diseases and typhoid due to inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene (about 30 percent of the total), and Reduced agricultural productivity due to soil degradation (about 20 percent of the total) development concern.

The government of Pakistan has also declared 2009 as the National Year of Environment, which shows that the government is considering the environment as important as any other sector.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182628