Pollution poses health hazards to I-9, I-10 people

Capital facing growing environmental problems

ISLAMABAD: Rapidly increasing industrial pollution is posing serious health hazards to the lives of residents of Sector I-9 and Sector I/10 in Islamabad.

According to a survey on Monday, industrial waste is one of the major contributors to air and water pollution which is resulting from ever-increasing chemicals and industrial emissions in Sector I-9 and Sector I-10 and the condition of these areas were worsening day by day , making it almost impossible for visitors to breath due to pollution.

Sector I-9 holds special significance not only for the capital, but across the country, because of its industrial contributions.

While surveying about the mega problems in I-9 and I-10 sectors, selected residents unanimously said air pollution was the biggest threats to the lives of residents of these areas. “Pollution caused by the industrial units in Sector I-9 and I-10 continues unchecked, under the nose of official monitoring departments, adding known and unknown hazards to health of the citizens,” Zafar a resident of 1-9 said.

Unfortunately, the capital is facing growing environmental problems because of industries emitting pollution near residential areas of Sector I-9 and I -10 in particular which are among the worst affected by industrial pollution,” he said.

The sector houses a number of private and public sector organizations and its offices, including Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), I-9 police station, railway station, dry port, National Savings Bank, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC), and various public sector educational institutions, while the CDA weekly lunda bazaar is also held there every Tuesday.



Around 500 factories in the industrial estates are polluting the air and water in Sector I-9. Among these, 204 are manufacturing units, including eight steel melting furnaces, 11 re-rolling mills, 25 flour mills, five oil and ghee mills, 31 marble cutting and polishing units and 23 metal working and engineering units, which either lac or have inadequate facilities for treatment of waste emissions.



However, a majority of the steel mills failed to install anti-pollution equipment, while those installed were either not working or were only partially effective.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) should ask the owners of industrial units, particularly all steel melting furnaces in the Industrial Estate Islamabad to install efficient devices to control pollution in the capital.

When contact with an EPA official they refused to give any statement.  

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2018.