Multan is one of the eighth cities of Pakistan where people were experiencing the polluted air, water and environment and government should make some far-reaching and effective measures with the collaboration of private sector to protect the lives and health of the masses, said Mian Iqbal Hassan, Chairman, Environmental Sub Committee of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Multan.
He said that a study carried out by the environment ministry in Pakistan has found that the air quality in eight major cities is deteriorating rapidly. The number of vehicles in those cities has increased by some 300 percent in the last five years. Air pollution in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Multan, and Faisalabad has reached serious proportions because of growing levels of CO2 and SO2, and greater concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and total suspended particulate matter (TSP).
In Islamabad alone, the number of registered vehicles in 1998 was just 60,000 whereas in March 2005, the number of vehicles was 340,000, as per record of the vehicle registration authority. This quantity does not include the vehicles flaying in Islamabad but registered in other cities. Almost similar is the situation in other major cities of the country. The second reason is the increase of population in these cities, mostly due to the migration from rural areas.
It is for the information of general public that as a result of the industrial revolution the issue of population has become more serious?
They were crowded into cities and supplied with many more products and services.
This led to a great increase in the problem of pollution. It is better and appropriate to mention here that carbon mono-oxide is deadly poisonous.
It damages red blood cells of living beings. Oxygen is carried to all parts of the body by normal red blood cells: carbon mono-oxide changes the behaviours of red blood cells so that they cannot carry oxygen. If the red blood cells are exposed to carbon mono-oxide, its effects remain in the body for more than 3 weeks. Other cells in the body cannot produce the energy with out oxygen. Some of the cells may die. If there is enough carbon mono-oxide in the air, it can make people dizzy, or unconscious, or it may kill them.
Carbon mono-oxide is one of the most dangerous air pollutants. It is not known to every one that all moving part of the vehicles/cars slowly wears out, and Iron, nickel, chromium, tungsten, titanium and vanadium get mixed with engine lubricating oils. It pollutes the air, water and gets in to the food chain through, fish vegetables / fruits and ends up in to human body causing serious diseases.
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