Air pollution chokes twin cities

Administrative bodies ‘miserably’ fail to ensure adherence to anti-smog SOPs

RAWALPINDI:

Air pollution has once again spiked in all the districts of the Rawalpindi Division including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad with the federal capital making it to the position of 156 on the Air Quality Index.

According to sources, all the efforts to control the smog in the twin cities have miserably failed and the district administration is desperately waiting for rains to reduce the menace.

The administrative bodies have also failed to bring smoke-emitting vehicles, industries, brick kilns, stone crusher machines and transportation of building materials to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

According to the report of the Environment Protection Department, on Monday, December 4, Rawalpindi city ranked 140 on the Air Quality Index with its suburbs reaching 150.

Similarly, the AQI reached 107 in district Attock, 121 in district Chakwal, and 142 in district Jhelum. In Islamabad, this index has been recorded up to 160.

The district administration says that smoke-emitting vehicles were plying on roads, which was worsening the situation.

A spokesperson for the Regional Transport Authority said from the start of the current month, 32 smoke-emitting vehicles have been confiscated in Rawalpindi with the imposition of a fine of Rs200,000 and the process was ongoing.

The Environment Protection Department says four smoke-emitting brick kilns have been sealed across the district and two have been demolished. “No kiln will be allowed to operate without implementing the zigzag technology,” the EPD spokesperson said.

Read: Seasonal suffering : Government fails to prevent annual smog onslaught

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture seems powerless to stop the burning of waste in the suburban areas.

Qingqi rickshaws to be phased out

On the other hand, declaring them as one of the causes of smog and air pollution, the district administration has decided to phase out the Qingqis [six-seat CNG and four-seat motorcycle rickshaws] plying on various routes in all six districts of the Rawalpindi Division.

According to the sources in the office of the RTA secretary, a total of 60,000 Qingqi rickshaws were plying in the Rawalpindi district out of which 30,000 to 33,000 were plying on various routes in the Rawalpindi City and Cantt.

“Neither do they have any route permit nor do they pay the token tax,” the sources said, adding that 45 per cent of these rickshaws were not even registered while 55 per cent of their drivers did not even have driving licenses as a large number of the drivers were underage.

According to the District Anti-Smog Squad, Qingqi passenger rickshaws and Qingqi loader rickshaws were the main cause of smog and pollution. “They emit poisonous gases,” it said. The Regional Transport Authority secretary, Excise and Taxation Department, Traffic Police, Anti-District Smog Squad and District Administration will conduct a joint operation for a major crackdown against them, it added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2023.