ISLAMABAD: Over the past two months, Islamabad’s air quality index has oscillated between red (unhealthy) and purple (very unhealthy), according to data shared by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA).

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Labs/National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) Director Dr Zaigham Abbas attributed this to large-scale construction projects and increasing vehicular emissions, resulting in hazardous air quality for the residents.

Dr Zaigham Abbas highlighted that the surge in air pollution was primarily driven by extensive development projects across the city, such as the ongoing high-rise constructions along the Blue Area belt, the Park Road extension, and simultaneous work at the Serena and PTCL interchanges.

Dr Abbas noted that old, heavy machinery—dumper trucks, excavators, and tractors—had been operating round the clock to meet deadlines, with inadequate measures in place to control pollution. As a result, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 182 micrograms per cubic meter on average. The AQI indicates the current level of air pollution and its potential impact on health.

Air quality oscillates between ‘healthy’ and ‘very unhealthy’ due to construction projects, vehicular emissions, brick kilns

From 4pm till midnight, AQI was the highest on Friday, reaching 117 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) on average, with particulate matter (PM) 2.5 reaching 133ug per cubic meter, according to the data shared by Pak-EPA from its monitoring stations.

This was again significantly higher than the permissible National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) of 35 micrograms per cubic meter. In its meetings with the civic authority, Pak-EPA recommended frequent sprinkling of water to prevent dust from rising into the air.

Dr Zaigham Abbas also told Dawn that beginning next month, Pak-EPA would install air monitoring units at six to seven locations to monitor air pollution in the city.

In November, Pak-EPA repeatedly warned that children, the elderly, and asthma patients must wear masks when stepping into the open due to unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality.

Dr Abbas, a senior environmental official, also said that his office had appealed to the deputy commissioner to halt the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) practice of burning garbage in public bins.

Air quality in the capital continued to deteriorate, with sources also pointing to emissions from outdated brick kilns on the city’s outskirts that had not yet adopted “environmentally friendly” zigzag technology. Additionally, pollution from neighbouring Rawalpindi was adding to the increasing levels of PM2.5 particulate matter in the air, posing a health risk to Islamabad’s residents. PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, is a type of air pollution that is considered the most harmful to humans because it can be inhaled deep into the lungs and bloodstream.

On December 23, AQI was the highest, reaching 231 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3) on average, with particulate matter (PM) 2.5 reaching 1182ug per cubic meter.

Mahwish Khan, a resident of Islamabad, shared that her children remained in good health during their two-month summer vacation in the Middle East.

“The moment we returned, they started falling ill. They developed allergies, sneezing, and coughing despite a healthy diet. We eventually realised it was the air they breathed that constantly made them sick,” said the mother of three.

Dr Rubia Usman, a UK-qualified general physician and medical consultant, emphasised that poor air quality affected more than just the lungs.

“It impacts overall health—from the liver and skin to all our organs, which rely on proper oxygenation for energy and repair. Breathing in polluted air filled with fine particles leaves us feeling tired, lethargic, and fatigued. Worse still, it can even influence our mood and worsen pre-existing conditions like asthma and heart disease,” she explained.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2024