Open waste burning adding to Capital pollution
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Open burning of leaves and house waste by the CDA employees within the sectors, is adding to pollution of the already ailing Federal Capital.
Sunday morning some staffers of Capital Development Authority (CDA) set on fire a heap of waste next to I-9 complaint centre, emitting thick clouds of smoke. The sector worst hit by industrial smoke and stinging effluent, off and on faces serious health hazards due to open burning of house waste and leaves.
When this scribe asked the CDA staffers as to why they were adding to the pollution by open burning of waste, they had no specific answer other than to just beating about the bush. "We have set it on fire just for the convenience of the people and to keep the drinking water clean," the staffer said in his absurd reply. "This waste can mix with water or someone can hide some explosives in it. You know the circumstances sir."
It was just beyond perception that how could this waste contaminate the water of nearby overhead CDA storage. He also had no reason to reply when asked why this waste was not lifted to dispose off at a dumping site. Of course, it could have not been the task of a tubewell operator.
It is very common in certain areas of the Capital that the CDA staffers set the waste on fire sneakingly and sometime in the dark just to shirk its lifting. Despite repeatedly stressed by the residents, the CDA neither could ensure earlier completion of the under construction Waster Treatment Plant in I-9/1 nor it could ensure mitigation in industrial emissions.
"We are facing this situation since last one year," said a resident of the sector in special reference to construction of the Treatment Plant, whose house faces is just 100 feet away from the construction site. "Dust travels to our houses when the vehicles run on the dust covered road, along the project site. It not only falls us ill but also damage the appliances," said Muhammad Ishaq.
Since last few months Capital is in the grip of severe air pollution due to prolonged development projects and unchecked vehicular and industrial pollution. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, just a day before the recent rainfall in the Capital, had recorded the air pollution level at around 240 ppm which was seven times higher than the prescribed standards. The prescribed standard is 35 ppm.
"The city was badly polluted. It could have further aggravated, had there been no rain," said Asif Shuja Khan, Director General Pak-EPA, confirming the pollution level. "We monitor daily countrywide data and a week back, the situation was the worst," he said.
These days anybody can see the thick layer of smoke and dust overhead when travelling or walking along the road. In some areas, it is even difficult to find clean air to breathe. It was also heart-aching to see depreciating Margalla Hills, a key reason for Capital's beauty. It is also disappointing when people do not enjoy view of the green Margallas, even when the sun shines.