Smog engulfs Peshawar, impairs visibility

Smog disrupts traffic on roads as well as motorway.

PESHAWAR:

The people of Peshawar on Saturday witnessed difficulties while travelling due to a smog which impaired their visibility.

It disrupted traffic on the roads as well as the motorway.

The traffic police directed the drivers to keep their speed limit at a minimum level in order to avoid accidents and headlights on while travelling so that other vehicles could detect them easily.

People of the city experience this problem every winter after air pollution mixes with fog creating serious impairment issues for travellers.

Due to the smog, the rail and air traffic are also disrupted each year as rails cannot move fast while airplanes face difficulties during landing due to low visibility.

Read Immutable air pollution chokes K-P

According to experts, Peshawar has been declared the third most-polluted city in Pakistan and the ninth most polluted city in the world in the Global Air Quality Report 2021.

A new study by environmentalists found that the city of Peshawar had high levels of air pollution. The level of air pollution, especially during the winter months, puts the city among the most-polluted ones in the world.

In terms of health, it affects at least five million people, increasing healthcare costs.

Due to high levels of air pollution, the age of the city’s residents has reduced by at least two to three years.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2023.