PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday said that Air pollution and climate change are two of the largest public health issues that province is currently facing.

Clearly, significant changes need to be implemented to have a strong impact on reducing air pollution rates. While the government has already made efforts through the KP’s Green Growth Initiative and the Billion Tree Tsunami afforestation project, but still more needs to be done to curb the air pollution and climate change. The provincial government has decided to install Air quality monitors in Peshawar and other districts of the province affected by air pollution.

He revealed this while talking to Pakistan’s leading Environmentalist and Lawyer Ahmad Rafey who met him here in Peshawar. The chief minister stated that despite prevailing challenges, ensuring clean air is one of the government’s most important jobs and the government is very clear about taking measures to improve air quality in Peshawar and the province as a whole.

While talking on the occasion, environmentalist Ahmad Rafey extended full support in providing his expertise to reduce air pollution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said, among the many environmental challenges faced by urban areas of the country, air quality is especially difficult to manage. The negative impacts of pollution include elevated risk of cardiovascular problems like heart diseases, stroke and acute diseases.

He said installing Air quality monitors will distinguish between areas where pollution levels violate the ambient air quality standard and the areas where they do not. Cities can develop smarter and timelier responses to pollution to help ensure clean air for all residents with the help of these monitors.