ISLAMABAD Health experts on Tuesday suggested that state-of-the-art traffic introduction of smart vehicles and signal-free smooth traffic flow in Punjab cities can control the smog as public health studies have shown that people who live near roads are more exposed to a harmful amount of air pollution.
General Physician Dr Capt R Arshad Humayun talking to the PTV news channel expressed serious concern over the increasing ‘vehicle population’ in Lahore and generally in Punjab, adding, that it has been reported that 40 to 50% of the vehicles create smog, which is a very large and alarming percentage.
He explained that ‘Smog’ in Punjab causes a variety of respiratory, Heart, Lung, eye and skin diseases, making life miserable for the affected and their families.
Smog is caused by a combination of smoke (air pollution) and fog. Air pollution particles ride on fog water and cause double jeopardy, he said, adding, that transport is considered to be the largest source of air pollution, although in the Lahore regi
on, industrial pollution is no less.
A possible solution is to ban locally produced high sulphur petrol and diesel in pollution-sensitive areas of central Punjab, adding, Punjab city whole to shift towards smart vehicles.
Getting cleaner vehicles on the road can help reduce both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, he advised.
Air quality improvements from cleaner vehicles could prevent hundreds of premature deaths every year, reduce about 70 per cent of the region’s traffic-related greenhouse gas emissions, and lead to billions of dollars in social benefits, he mentioned.
‘Wearing of face masks, intake of water and staying at home are other easiest solutions to avoid getting rushed to hospitals with respiratory-related diseases, infections in eyes and skin diseases,’ he said.
Experts say the burning of crop residue at the start of the winter wheat-planting season is another key cause of the pollution, he highlighted.