Smoke-emitting vehicles face tough action

Violators face fines, confiscation as authorities intensify inspections on high-traffic roads

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has warned vehicle owners across the federal capital of strict action against smoke-emitting vehicles, as the agency steps up enforcement to curb worsening air pollution and recurring smog episodes.

Pak-EPA Director General Nazia Zaib Ali said enforcement teams have intensified inspections on major roads, intersections and high-traffic corridors to identify vehicles releasing excessive emissions. She said violators would face on-the-spot fines, confiscation of vehicles or both, depending on the severity of the offence.

The EPA DG said driving a vehicle emitting thick black smoke or emissions beyond permissible limits constituted an environmental crime under federal laws. "Smoke-emitting vehicles will not be allowed to operate in Islamabad under any circumstances," she warned. "This is not just a regulatory issue - it is a public health emergency. Vehicular smoke is poisoning the air our children breathe."

The DG noted a rising number of high-emission vehicles, particularly diesel buses, trucks, wagons, Qingqi rickshaws and motorcycles, operating without proper maintenance and contributing heavily to air pollution.

These emissions, she said, were damaging both public health and the environment. Vehicular smoke contains harmful pollutants - including PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons - that degrade air quality and intensify smog formation.

Experts warn that PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing chronic respiratory diseases, heart conditions, stroke and premature death.

Islamabad's winter weather patterns, marked by stagnant air and temperature inversions, trap pollutants near the ground, worsening smog episodes. Health specialists cite vehicular emissions as a leading cause of respiratory distress, asthma attacks, allergies and eye irritation, especially among children, the elderly and those with pre-existing heart or lung conditions.

"People often fail to realise that the smoke from a single vehicle affects hundreds of people around it," said Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination. "Every plume of black smoke is a toxic cloud carrying disease."