OWING to the instability in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tens of thousands of people from the region have migrated to Peshawar over the years in big numbers in pursuit of safety and better livelihood.

The city has transformed in many ways to cater to the needs of the increased populace. Owing to these circumstances, the threat of climate change has increased manifold. A recent report in this newspaper (Nov 11) stated that the Sarhad Conservation Network, an advocacy organisation, has reported an alarming increase in the levels of toxic gases and particles in Peshawar’s atmosphere.

The Air Quality Index is reported above 150, whereas the AQIcn, an international organisation to check the real-time AQI, reported this value varying between 170 and 376, which is alarmingly high and unhealthy for the city’s residents.

The provincial government needs to look into this matter and take proactive measures to resolve the issue. We need to initiate public awareness campaigns, begin stringent vehicle emission-testing, as the transport sector is a major contributor to pollution, and, finally, to devise and implement environment-friendly policies in brick kilns, industries, construction sites, and other pollution-emitters.

As citizens, we must act responsibly and contribute to efforts to limit damage to the planet.

Fazal Rehman Safi

Peshawar

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2020