Despite the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government claiming that the introduction of the BRT service has lowered air pollution levels in the province, the growing number of private vehicles on roads has led the provincial capital, Peshawar to emerge as the third most polluted city in Pakistan and the ninth most polluted city in the world. Thanks to the immutable air pollution, locals in K-P have started developing a wide range of respiratory ailments as they gasp for air in the season of suffocation.
According to the Seventh Population and Housing Census 2023, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s population has reached 40.85 million, with the average annual growth rate touching 2.38 per cent. Similarly, data obtained from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Excise and Transport Department revealed that during the past two years there has been a 10.2 per cent increase in the number of vehicles, with 2,326,251 vehicles registered in 2023 out of which 1,452,656 were motorcycles and scooters, 186,017 were motor cars and jeeps, 52,585 were tractors, buses and minibuses and 46,395 were wagons alongside 343,460 other vehicles. Among all the cities in the province, Peshawar was on top with a total number of 995,326 vehicles plying its roads.
“The rising number of vehicles, including over 50,000 unregistered rickshaws, occupying roads in Peshawar is concerning. These vehicles contribute to smog, which has significantly impacted human health,” said Dr Hizbullah Khan, Assistant Professor at the University of Peshawar.
According to a study conducted by the Peshawar Air Alliance, the transport sector has emerged as a major source of pollution. From 2012 to 2020, the number of registered vehicles increased by 85 per cent resulting in vehicle emissions contributing to 58.64 per cent of air pollution. Furthermore, the concentration of Inhalable Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in Peshawar ranges between 61.40-80.09 micrograms per cubic metre, exceeding the current national and provincial standard by 4-5 times and the WHO’s air quality guidelines by 12 to 16 times.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is among the leading environmental factors contributing to poor public health, with approximately seven million premature deaths occurring yearly due to consequential respiratory and circulatory illnesses.
Dr Ahmad Zeb, a medical emergency officer at the Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar, while talking to The Express Tribune revealed that due to smog, respiratory ailments were on the rise in Peshawar. “We are receiving 500 patients with chest infection, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis and asthma on a daily basis,” said Zeb, while adding that children and the elderly were worst affected by respiratory diseases.
Shaista Hasan, a PhD candidate pursuing her research on smog, opined that the primary reason behind the worsening smog crisis in K-P, was the use of outdated vehicles. “Throughout the world, vehicles are manufactured with catalytic convertors, which reduce car emissions. However, in our province, people still use old vehicles. The K-P government should move towards electric vehicles and bikes, which have become the need of the hour. If this is not prioritized, the smog crisis will be out of our control,” she regretted.
Meanwhile K-P CM’s Advisor on Finance, Muzzamil Aslam maintained that the K-P government was aware of climate change and the recent development of smog. “Hence, the government has increased the budget for climate change action to Rs1 billion,” said Aslam.
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