LAHORE: Faulty systems measuring water vapours in the air are leading to incorrect reporting of air quality index in the city, said sources.
According to the sources, the point was raised during a high-level meeting of provincial authorities in the province of Punjab last week to assess the factors behind smog in the city, which was inviting the ire of Lahore High Court with a change in temperature.
The sources said a participant from the Punjab Urban Unit pointed out the fault of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), saying that the Authority was also measuring water vapours besides dust, smoke and toxic particles which was adding to the index abnormally and thus causing a source of concern on the part of civil society and the LHC. It was pointed out that the index would reduce by half if the element of water vapours is separated from the dust particles in the air.
It was further mentioned that since the EPA measures the weight of the water vapours as well besides the dust particles, the index level jumps abnormally as the humidity level reaches 90 percent during a drop in the temperature.
They said the AQI system developed by the Punjab Urban Unit has been installed in the area of Township, which is heavily populated with industrial units, where the air quality index has not crossed the level of 100 comparing with the earlier level of 350. Lahore was ranked as the fourth highest polluted city due to a faulty measurement last year, they added.
According to the sources, the Unit was installing another system in the area of Kala Shah Kaku while another would be handed over to the deputy commissioner soon to gauge the actual impact of pollution during the risky hours.
The meeting has decided collaboration of the AQI system developed by the Punjab Urban Unit internationally besides carrying out legislation and equipping the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for an accurate measurement of the air quality index, they added.
Meanwhile, the sources said Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has removed the AQI monitoring system installed at its regional office by the EPA once questions are raised about the quality of its operation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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