GREEN BUILDINGS: It is surprising that the biggest contributor to green-house gas emissions is the construction sector, with a share of 44.6 per cent. An effective initiative for sustainable development is needed by introducing environment-friendly green buildings. The government has introduced green building codes already, but no effective implementation and progress has been made so far.

Shehryar Kandhro
Quetta

DIRECT FLIGHTS: For years, there have been no Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights on the New York-Karachi route. Pakistanis living in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia and other nearby states have been the worst hit by the non-availability of the national carrier’s service on the route. Unfortunately, no measures have been taken by the government in this regard even though direct flights between the United States and Pakistan will bring relief to thousands of overseas Pakistanis.

Dr Malik Mubeen Awan
New York, USA

PLASTIC EGGS: Human health has become a cause apparently not too close to the government’s heart. That can be the only explanation behind the increasing sale of harmful ‘plastic’ eggs in Khairpur district. No government official is willing to pay heed to the woes of the locals. The food inspectors and other relevant departments prefer to ignore the matter for unknown reasons.

Sajjad Hussain Cheehani
Agra, Sindh

A BETTER ALTERNATIVE: This is apropos the article ‘Heart disease in Pakistan’ (Jan 2). I found a report saying that 50 per cent of the tested population in Pakistan had hypertension. One of the reasons is increased consumption of salt. An alternative to dietary salt can be found in monosodium glutamate (MSG) which has significantly reduced sodium as it contains one-third the amount compared to table salt. The government should review all kinds of restrictions on the consumption of MSG in the country.

Syed Ovais Akhtar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2022