Peshawar  -  In an ongoing battle against air pollution, especially smog, environmentalists and forestry experts have stressed the importance of preserving and planting canopy trees in cities to combat these environmental challenges.

Declaring that PM 2.5 pollution is dangerous for living creatures, the experts urged the KP government, city planners, and local authorities to focus on these trees to mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution, which has been on the rise in many urban centers, particularly in Peshawar.

Gulzar Rehman, former Conservator of Forests KP, told APP, “The cutting down of canopy trees for housing societies, road expansion, and monetary gain has contributed to air pollution in Peshawar.”

Pakistan is home to more than 200 native tree species and nine forest ecological systems suited to such species. Among these, canopy trees like Siris, Pipal, Bakin, and Shisham are particularly vital for air purification.

A canopy tree can provide oxygen for up to four people, and 1,075 trees planted on one hectare of land can absorb eight tons of carbon dioxide per day.

The cutting of such trees in Peshawar in the past has exacerbated the city’s growing pollution, contributing directly to smog and air pollution.

A historical account from the Tuzk-e-Babari, the memoir of the first Mughal emperor Zaheer-ud-Din Babar, describes the presence of thick forests surrounding Peshawar. These forests were so dense that they supported a wide range of wildlife, including lions.

Babar’s hunting expeditions in the region reflect the once-rich forests that contributed to the area’s environmental health. However, with the rapid urbanization and industrialization of Peshawar, much of the greenery has been lost, exposing its residents to pollution hazards.

Muhammad Irshad, Chief Analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) KP, told APP that canopy trees are a great source for controlling PM 2.5-level pollution.

“PM 2.5 is a complex mixture of extremely small particles that stay in the air for a longer period. Once inhaled, they can affect the heart, lungs, respiratory system, cause high blood pressure, strokes, asthma, cancer, and other chronic diseases,” he said.

He added that the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) recommend that the level of tiny particles in the air should not exceed 15 mg per cubic meter.

Canopy trees that are 10 feet or more in height have the ability to absorb high levels of carbon dioxide and pollutant gases.

Dr Mumtaz Malik, former Chief Conservator of Wildlife KP, said, “A large number of trees are planted during the spring and monsoon afforestation campaigns every year, but many disappear over time due to the wrong selection of saplings for different climate zones and improper care.”

“Today, even birds like cranes and Houbara bustards can hardly be seen on the outskirts of Peshawar, for which it was once famous far and wide,” he added.

He said, “Preference is still being given to eucalyptus and fashionable small-sized bushy plants, which scarcely have the power to fight pollutant gases.”

Khurshid Ali Khan, Chief Conservator of KP Forest Department, said that the first man-made forest, modeled after ‘Changa Manga,’ was raised on over 32,000 hectares of land at Ghari Chandan near Peshawar, where millions of saplings, mostly native plants, were planted to control air pollution.

He said that preference was given to canopy trees in the Billion Trees Project to improve air quality in KP.

Khurshid Ali added that the Billion Trees Project Plus was announced by the Chief Minister of KP, under which the focus would be on the plantation of canopy trees.