With growing public concern over environmental degradation in both urban and rural Sindh, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is planning to conduct an air quality assessment survey of the province with the help of certified private laboratories.
Adviser to the Sindh chief minister on law, environment and coastal development Murtaza Wahab had earlier directed SEPA to collect data on the province's air quality so that corrective measures could be taken. According to a statement released by SEPA, its regional offices, including those in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas, have been told to earmark human resources as needed for the survey.
Further, the statement said, Karachi's air quality would be monitored at over 100 locations, based on varying factors such as industrial surroundings, depositions of smoke pockets, landfill sites, highways, wind corridors, traffic congestion and others.
Besides, it added, air quality in rural areas will also be monitored due to the likelihood of smog near brick kilns and the impact on visibility.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2020.
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