Air Pollution In Karachi, Pakistan At 4X International Standards

Federal Capital is experiencing four times higher air pollution these days than the internationally prescribed standards, posing serious health and environmental hazards.

The level of pollution recorded by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) stood at 138 microgram per meter cube instead of minimum standard pollution level of 35 microgram per meter cube. Sources at the Environment Ministry confirmed to APP the air pollution level and feared more people falling ill due to mounting air pollution level. These sources described the ongoing development activities in the federal capital, increase in vehicles number and the emission from the I-9 industrial area as the major cause of air pollution.

“It is more lethal when the dust mixes with smoke and it remains suspended overhead. It effects the human health much,” the sources said. Director General Pak-EPA Asif Shuja Khan when contacted also confirmed the pollution level and described it extra ordinary as far as Conventional Air Pollution was concerned.

“Our station had recorded it at 135 microgram/meter cube and it unusually higher than the prescribed standards,” Asif Shuja said. He also mentioned to particulate matters as small as 2.5 microgram, which he said, were more lethal than any other particulate.

EDIT

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=80696