PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday finalised an action plan aimed at improving the air quality index and controlling smog in Peshawar and adjacent districts.

The development came during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur here, according to an official statement.

Besides provincial cabinet members, aides to the chief minister Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and Pir Musawir Shah, chief secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, additional chief secretary (planning and development) Ikramullah Khan, relevant administrative secretaries, and other senior officials, also attended the meeting.

The statement said that the meeting decided the action plan would be presented to the provincial cabinet for final approval.

CM says timelines should be set for implementation of measures

Besides, it was also decided in the meeting to introduce an electric vehicle policy in the province to address air pollution challenges. Similarly, to ensure effective implementation of the plan, a task force will also be established.

The plan of action carries various short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures, assigning responsibilities to all relevant departments and institutions.

Also, a committee headed by the additional chief secretary (planning and development) will be established to oversee the measures and efforts of all relevant departments and institutions.

A modern control room will be set up for real-time monitoring of the Air Quality in Peshawar and surrounding districts. The meeting also decided to install an Emission Monitoring System to regularly monitor industrial emissions and develop a mechanism for emission testing of vehicles at entry and exit points of Peshawar.

The process of issuing vehicle fitness certificates will be digitised, and brick kilns across the province will be registered and shifted to zigzag Technology in a phased manner.

Officials were directed by the chief minister to strictly enforce the decision to close the illegal crushing plants in the province and take strict action against industrial units causing air pollution. Similarly, action will be taken against petrol pumps selling substandard fuel, and air quality monitoring stations will be established at all divisional headquarters.

Moreover, Air Purification Towers will be installed in Peshawar, and steps will be taken to enhance the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency. In the first phase, regional offices of the agency will be established. To reduce smog and air pollution, effective and meaningful collaboration will be established between relevant departments, academia, and donor agencies. A public awareness campaign will also be launched to educate people about the negative effects of Air Pollution, and environment-friendly trees will be planted on a large scale during the upcoming plantation campaign.

The meeting was informed about the current air quality in Peshawar, factors harming the air quality, and other related issues. It was noted that the largest contributor to air pollution is the transport sector, responsible for 58 per cent of air pollution, followed by road side dust, which contributes 17 per cent.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that air pollution was a critical issue, and immediate measures were necessary to prevent it from becoming a more serious problem. He said that his government was committed to effectively addressing the challenge.

“Identifying the contributing factors accurately and devising a comprehensive and practical strategy to address them is the need of the hour”, he remarked and assured that the government will prioritise providing the necessary resources for the implementation of the action plan.

The chief minister said that timelines should be set for the implementation of proposed measures to ensure better outcomes and an effective coordination system should be established among all relevant departments and institutions.

He emphasised steps to address the issue of smoke emitting vehicles while ensuring that no one’s livelihood is affected.

“Special attention should be given to planting trees and green belts in government offices, roadsides, and other public places, while ensuring the regular cleaning of roads in urban areas.”

The chief minister said educational institutions should take special initiatives to raise awareness among children about air pollution.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2025