Slow pace of repair work on KKH: Environmental pollution in Abbottabad crosses dangerous level

ABBOTTABAD: The city has been facing acute environmental pollution and is in grip of high order dust smoke due to the slow work on the construction of main Karakoram Highway for the last two months, said experts on Wednesday.

According to environmental expert Dr Qaiser Mehmood, who is head of the Department of Environmental Studies at the COMSATS Institute of Technology Abbottabad campus, the pollution level had crossed the dangerous level which is at last grade” very unhealthy”.

He said it posed a major threat to the citizens and was one of the main causes of the increase of Covid-19 cases in Abbottabad.

The expert said as per count, it is at the highest level of PM (Particulate Matter) 3.4 G per cubic meter that has crossed an alarming level in the cities like Abbottabad which was a lush green city with clean air.

Responding to questions from this correspondent, Dr Qaiser Mehmood, who is a recipient of Tamgaha-i-Imtiaz civil award, said due to road construction, traffic jams occur and smoke and unburned fuel from vehicle produced combination of PM and smoke makes the toxin thus polluting the environment.

He said people in shops, houses and offices of the area suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases which are also on the rise.

The expert said countless patients were being admitted and treated at the local Hospitals because of this.

It should be noted here that the repair work of the main KKH for the only five kilometre area was started at least three months back.

Despite repeated requests by KP Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, local Member National Assembly Ali Khan Jadoon, and government officials, the NHA did not take any notice of the problem.

The work is yet to be accelerated as only five to 10 labourers with small machinery are carrying out the construction work on the road. This is causing great hardship to the citizens and creates traffic jams all the time, especially in peak hours.

Interestingly, the entire repair and carpeting work was completed in less than five days in the Cantonment area while the rest of the portion was abandoned.

Citizens and commuters asked Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed and other relevant officials to ensure a speedy completion of the work on the road repair project.