Twenty brick kilns out of the total 64 units in the federal capital have switched to the eco-friendly zigzag technology to reduce the risk of air pollution and respiratory diseases.
A Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) official said, “Regular monitoring of ambient air pollutants in Islamabad by the Pak-EPA revealed that air standards for particulate matter of size 2.5 microns (PM2.5) had been exceeded during the smog season.
The agency has directed brick kiln owners to adopt zigzag technology, as it was introduced with the cooperation of the All Pakistan Brick Kiln Owners Association (APBKOA). "The zig-zag kiln technology has been established for fuel efficiency, energy savings, and lowering emissions. All the owners of brick kilns who had not installed the technology have now submitted affidavits to install the environment-friendly zig-zag technology," he informed.
He mentioned that recently, Pak-EPA sealed five brick kilns that were operating in Sector H-16 without zigzag technology. During the month of November 2021, readings of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) exceeded the 24-hourly limit of 35µg/m3 set under the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).
"During the dry autumn and winter months, this is a common phenomenon in this region, because in the absence of rain, particulate matter and pollutants in the air start collecting in the lower level of the atmosphere," the official said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2022.
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