LAHORE, Jan 22: Dust and smoke pollution is on the rise in all cities and towns of the Punjab due to continuing dry weather, unpaved roads and increase in movement of traffic.

Dust pollution increase in urban centres has been detected in the surveys conducted by the Environment Protection Department, which has described it tolerable and lesser as compared to other countries with similar conditions. Pollution levels in commercial areas are higher than the residential ones and increase during peak hours.

Environment surveys conducted by the EPD and Japan Intermational Cooperation Agency for checking the air and water quality in Gujranwala and Faisalabad from Dec 12 to 22 revealed 300 per cent increase in normal dust levels and 20 per cent increase in nitrogen dioxide at busy road crossings in commercial areas. Carbon monoxide emissions from the automobiles were, however, found to be within the tolerable limits.

The EPD and JICA teams checked the air quality at the Rawalpindi Bypass, Gondalanwala Chowk, Baghbanpura Chowk, Sheikhupra Road and Sialkot Road in Gujranwala and at Kotwali Chowk, Abdullapur Chowk, Ghulam Mohammadabad, Mian Mohammad Trust Chowk and Maqbool Road in Faisalabad along with the EPD mobile laboratory.