ZUBAIR QURESHI
Thanks to the current lockdown, air in the federal capital is clearer, skies bluere and this has happened in many years. While talking to Pakistan Observer, Maryam Shabbir environment expert at a local think tank Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Friday said air quality index (AQI) of Lahore is hovering over 50-70 these days and this has happened in years. Islamabad too has taken a big leap with regard to improvement in its AQI, she said as the traffic on roads has significantly reduced while markets and factories have also been closed under a 14- days lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak. Not only traffic burden is reduced but factories and mills have also stopped emitting smoke and hazardous particles that is good for our health as well as the environment, she further said. “We have seen good quality air days before but you can feel the fresher breath of air more than ever in Islamabad.” It also goes to show the major impact human activities have on the climate of our city,” said Maryam Shabbir. According to Director General Envi- ronment Protection Agency (EPA) Farzana Altaf Shah the decline in industrial activities, construction, solid waste burning and above all lesser traffic on roads have significantly improved the quality air. Maryam Shabbir said generally AQI above 50 is regarded unhealthy and in the past we have seen it jumping to even 200 in Lahore, Karachi and other industrial stations. However, she said in the lockdown due to coronavirus fears the air quality has improved. To a question what will happen after lockdown she said air pollution would return as major challenge to the government and we needed to sort out its permanent solution. One solution is introduction of electric vehicles and the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government has claimed to turn 30% of all vehicles electric in next ten years. Maryam said besides going electric, the existing vehicles are required to maintain minimum standards and use environmentfriendly engines. She also stressed increase in number of air quality monitors.
