Peshawar Clean Air Alliance (PCAA) in a meeting on Monday suggested the inclusion of pro-environmental and anti-pollution projects in the upcoming budget to mitigate climate change effects. The PCAA delegation informed the section chief, of environment & climate change Hidayat Wazir that several important projects from the environment department were part of the last year’s Annual Development Programme (ADP); these must be given adequate budget this year to ensure their completion and implementation.
These projects include the introduction of zigzag technology in brick kilns and projects that include provisions for air quality monitoring. “New proposed projects that are important for climate change adaptation, mitigation, and air quality improvement must also be prioritized this year,” they stressed. Projects such as updating the environmental profile of KP and creating an inventory of industrial pollution must be included in the new ADP and receive an adequate budgetary allocation, the PCAA team mentioned.
The Section Chief appreciated PCAA’s commitment to the cause. He informed PCAA members of the severe fiscal crunch that the government is undergoing and the restricted ADP that is being prepared for the next few months only.
