PESHAWAR: The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to prepare an action plan to address the challenges of air pollution through introducing electric vehicle policy for bringing improvement in the air quality index (AQI) and control smog in the provincial capital and its adjacent districts.
The decision into this effect has been taken in a meeting regarding air quality with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur in the chair.
The meeting deliberated on issues related to air quality in the province, particularly in the provincial capital, and made important decisions to this end.
The proposed action plan in this regard will be presented to the provincial cabinet for final approval. To ensure effective implementation of the plan, a taskforce will also be established. The action plan proposes various short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures, assigning responsibilities to all relevant departments and institutions.
Additionally, a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary Planning & Development will be established to oversee the measures and efforts of all relevant departments and institutions. A modern control room will be set up for real-time monitoring of the Air Quality in Peshawar and surrounding districts.
The meeting also decided to install an Emission Monitoring System to regularly monitor industrial emissions and develop a mechanism for emission testing of vehicles at entry and exit points of Peshawar.
The process of issuing vehicle fitness certificates will be digitised, and brick kilns across the province will be registered and shifted to zigzag technology in phased manner. Relevant authorities were directed to strictly enforce the decision to close the illegal crushing plants in the province and take strict action against industrial units causing air pollution.
Similarly, action will be taken against petrol pumps selling substandard fuel, and Air Quality Monitoring Stations will be established at all divisional headquarters.
Moreover, air purification towers will be installed in Peshawar, and steps will be taken to enhance the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency. In the first phase, regional offices of the agency will be established.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that air pollution is a critical issue, and immediate measures are necessary to prevent it from becoming a more serious problem, adding that his government was committed to effectively addressing this challenge.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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