News
Monday, July 23, 2012
Air pollution increasing respiratory diseases in KarachiKARACHI: Polluted air, mainly due to vehicular smoke, burning of garbage and very low tree plantation, is increasing respiratory diseases in Karachi, therefore, urgent steps are needed to check the worsening situation.
Vehicular smoke is the number one cause of the growing air pollution in Karachi, causing serious environmental loss to the mega city besides spreading lung diseases in population. All major arteries of the city brave extremely higher levels of smoke in air, but various departments and agencies related to environmental control, traffic regulations, motor engine fitness and removing roadside encroachments are not giving proper focus to this serious issue. Though industrial smoke, uncontrolled waste burning, poor drainage, sanitation and waste disposal system, and presence of high percentage of dust particles in air also heavily contribute to polluting air, but the exhaust gases from vehicles is the major cause of poisoning city air.
Senior surgeon and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) finance secretary Dr Qaiser Sajjad said the issue smoke pollution in Karachi is aggravating with every passing day but the authorities concerned are not ready to realise serious consequences of this problem on public health. He said respiratory diseases are on sharp rise amongst Karachiites, and becoming a major disease burden for this mega urban city. He said now the cases of smoke allergy are on the rise even in Karachi children, as hundreds of schools are situated on busy roads clouded with dense smoke. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren have to travel on school vans running on the city roads where air pollution levels are extremely high.
Studies suggest that living within 100 meters of major highways is a risk factor, although smaller distances may also result in graded increases in risk. Other studies demonstrate special vulnerability to air pollution among those with serious illnesses, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lung cancer. Hundreds of thousands of Karachiites suffer from these diseases mainly due to living in areas where air pollution is dangerously high. Children, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, and those with specific genetic traits are at special risk.
Roadside encroachments and wrong parking cause frequent traffic jams, resulting in concentration of more vehicular exhaust gases and smoke on roads. The local administration is not willing to remove roadside encroachments from main commercial markets of Karachi, says All Pakistan Organization of Small Trade and Cottage Industries (APOSTCI) Karachi President Mahmood Hamid.
He said shopkeepers and small traders who sit at their shops at markets near busy traffic congested roads face serious health problems, especially high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and lung problems. He said in Karachi a very powerful mafia runs organised crime of roadside encroachments and illegal vehicle parking on roads and footpaths by car dealers. The malpractice results in crippling traffic jams and more vehicular smoke in air, aggravating pollution. He demanded that the city administration and traffic police should ensure all roads and streets of Karachi are free from encroachments and open for freer and smooth traffic flow.
President Human Rights Network (HRN) Intikhab Alam Suri said right to health is included in basic rights and smoke pollution is a grave neglect on behalf of the administration, posing grave threat to public health. He said in Karachi, there is no effective mechanism of engine checking and engine fitness. He said very old and obsolete public transport vehicles are plying in the city with impunity and two-stroke rickshaws are also allowed to play havoc with air quality. He said traffic police and vehicle control departments are replete with corruption and they do not take any action against smoke emitting vehicles. He said in civilized urban city, no one dare to bring a smoke emitting vehicle on road due to tight regulations, but in Karachi there is no such writ of law on the city streets. He demanded banning public transport vehicles in Karachi, which are more than 15 years old.
Suri said a powerful oil lobby is working to discourage the trend of opening more CNG stations in Pakistan including Karachi. He said the CNG in not only a cheaper fuel but also environment friendly and CNG vehicles do not exhaust harmful smoke and gases. He said motorists in Karachi have invested billions of rupees to convert their vehicles on CNG, but the oil lobby for its dirty profits wants to discharge this clean fuel factor, which would not only result in economic problems for motorists but also play havoc with the city environment in the shape of dangerous smoke pollution. He said to provide safety to public health is constitutional responsibility of the government and it should take strict steps to control pollution of every type.
He suggested launching an aggressive drive of tree plantation in Karachi, saying trees are lungs of any city. He said Karachi needs millions of trees to make greener its roads, streets, parks, playgrounds, educational institutions, beaches and public places. He said more trees would ensure that the harmfully higher levels of air pollutions could be offset to some extent. ppi
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk