ISLAMABAD, March 30: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has started monitoring the intensity of pollen in the air to facilitate allergy victims in the capital.

According to a PMD report issued on Sunday, this year the pollen count is higher as compared to the last year. The report said intensity of the pollen in Islamabad was increasing in the current spring season.

The pollen count on Sunday was 14,623 per cubic metre (PCM), whereas it was recorded at 11,508 PCM on Saturday.

The intensity of pollen in Islamabad, which claims dozens of lives every year, will remain quite high this year, medical experts said.

The experts told Dawn that due heavy rains in winter, abundance of flowers would bloom, causing higher pollen allergy. They said moisture would also increase the pollen count.

The experts asked the pollen allergy patients to take necessary precautionary measures in the spring season.

Besides paper mulberry trees, many other species also increase the pollen count. Dust particles are another factor causing allergy and breathing problems, the experts said.

A few years ago, Islamabad was commonly considered as a refuge, however, now people leave the capital to avoid pollen allergy, they added.

Since early 1990s, illness resulting from pollen has become one of the gravest health problems in the city as each year hundreds of people visit hospitals or clinics to receive treatment for spring allergy alone, the experts said.

Sources in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) said emergency measures were often needed to deal with the crisis.

Officials at Capital Development Authority (CDA) told Dawn that paper mulberry trees were imported from Philippines and introduced to the capital in 1980s.

However, another group of medical experts said apart from pollen allergens, other pollutants such as dust and smoke emissions also caused allergies during the spring season.

A study conducted by National Institute of Health (NIH) said about 15 per cent population of industrialized countries suffered from allergies.