KARACHI, March 26: The Sindh Environment and Alternate Energy Department on Monday started free check-ups of smoke-emitting vehicles in the metropolis. More than 150 vehicles were checked through smoke analysing instruments on a voluntarily basis on the first day of the campaign.

Sindh Minister for Environment and Alternate Energy Dr Saghir Ahmed said the government not only was taking revolutionary steps for the eradication of air pollution but also providing fitness check-up facilities to people on a voluntarily basis to promote awareness among them about harms of traffic smoke.

He observed that vehicles’ smoke made the air polluted, which generated diseases like asthma, bronchitis, heart and lungs' disorders and skin problems.

Vehicles discharge carbon mono-oxide with engine smoke that gets mixed with blood and absorbs oxygen, which harms efficiency to inhale oxygen.

This causes suffocation, headache, mental weakness, faintness and even leads to death, he added.

Dr Saghir said patrol or diesel used in vehicles as fuel generated gas. This gas had hundreds of thousands of carbons in it including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide, particles of carbon and lead.

More than 30 per cent vehicles plying on roads discharge extra smoke due to old engines and lack of their overhauling.

Therefore, the minister said, people should get their vehicles overhauled after a prescribed time and stop using adulterated fuels. He said public cooperation was a must in efforts to strop growing air pollution.—PPI