READING Kulsum Ahmed’s op-ed, ‘Choosing to breathe clean air’ (Feb 20), was heartening.

We breathe 10-30,000 litres of polluted air every day. There isn’t a breath of clean air left in this region. Nine of the 10 most polluted cities are in India and Pakistan. Working towards clean air might actually bring our countries together in peace while alleviating the suffering of millions.

The World Bank published a report of policy recommendations in 2014 entitled Cleaning Pakistan’s Air, but the government has yet to implement any recommendation. Monitoring equipment donated by the Japanese lies gathering dust.

The Supreme Court should take notice of this invisible terror. The right to clean air is acknowledged as a human rights issue worldwide.

We can tackle this issue by taking the following initial steps: prioritise the environment ministry’s portfolio; establish an air pollution force to tackle industrial pollution and enforce a ‘polluters pay policy’; phase out and retire old/fuel-inefficient vehicles; replace with electric/hydrogen vehicles and improved public transport; and utilise air purifiers in vehicles and buildings that filter particles under 2.5 microns in size.

I am 74 years old and have suffered from acute bronchitis, and my extended family has severe health issues such as asthma related to poor air quality. Let’s clean our air for the health and welfare of the present and future generations.

Venu Advani

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017