Staff Reporter
Pakistan is facing serious air pollution and increased level of toxic pollutants in its all major urbanized cities whereas a massive public level awareness campaign to curb smog was not active.
Talking to media, Haider Abbas a blogger and social media activist in the federal capital said, “The awareness messages published by news channels are very few that remain active with social media hype and then die down.”
The government at provincial and federal level should have active media and community engagement on curbing smog and raising awareness among the masses on open garbage, rice stubble and waste burning directly contributing to smog, he added.
Wajiha Azhar, a teacher said there was massive awareness and sensitization campaign on dengue outbreak that killed many people across the country whereas the awareness campaign helped control the issue at a certain level.
“The garbage picking scavengers are setting garbage at fire in various areas that makes the air difficult to breath. This is not only creating smoke in the air rather badly affecting the health of the population residing nearby the burning garbage site.
There is no action taken by any authority that needs strict action,” she added. Alia Tariq, a student in the twin city of Rawalpindi said the district administration had imposed section 144 that barred people from putting the solid waste to fire, adding, a First Information Report (FIR) would be launched against the violator.
