Clean Air Quality Monitoring Initiative meeting in Quetta.

QUETTA, July 22, 2009 (Balochistan Times) -- Air pollution has increased up to fatal level, Think now or never. This was stated by Secretary Environment Balochistan during meeting on Clean Air Quality Monitoring Initiative in Quetta by IUCN Balochistan. According to details, a meeting on Clean air Quality Initiative in Quetta city was held by IUCN here Wednesday chaired by chairmanship of Secretary Environment Munir Ahmed Badini. Committee members Director General BEPA, Ghulam Rasool Jamali, Chief of section Environment P& Department Ikram ul Haq, City District Government, Chief Coordinator Ghulam Qadir Lehri, Director Meteorology Saifullah Shami, Dr. Younis Mengal from UNICEF, Aftab Yasin from HDIP, Azeem ur Rehman from Habibullah Coastal Power, Pervaiz Iqbal from WESS, Qurban Gharshin from BEEJ, Zabardast Khan Bangash Program Manager IUCN Balochistan, Aquib ud din from IUCN Karachi were present in the meeting. Secretary Environment Balochistan Munir Ahmed Badini discussed various constraints and barriers faced during implementation. He said though implementation is a big challenge but if the stake holders play their role honestly their will be no issue. He said our main focus should by the communities and residents of Quetta city. He floated the idea that through facilitation of IUCN people should be gathered on a single platform from every walk of life of Quetta city and tell them the fatal impacts of air pollution. He said air pollution has enormously increased up to fatal, it time to think now or never. Aquib ud din from IUCN highlighted the importance and co-benefits of developing clean air Monitoring mechanism by giving a detailed and comprehensive presentation covering all the technical aspects. He said a resource person by IUCN will impart the first ever training on clean air quality monitoring mechanism. Programme Manager IUCN Balochistan Program Zabardast Khan Bangash said that a group should be formed who may conduct door to door survey within the city to monitor the awareness level of the people regarding the hazardous impacts of air pollution. He said that Air Quality Monitoring is a new initiative taken for the very first time in Quetta City. This will be helpful in not only keeping a check on ever increasing carbon emissions and air pollution of the city but also contribute in reduction and control over hazardous gases in future. Bangash offered BEPA, which is a regulatory authority of environmental conservation of the province, to do air sampling survey of the city through it team and IUCN will provide logistic support for this survey. In the end of the meeting the chair person thanked the committee members for their inputs and recommendations and applauded IUCNs efforts for initiating and facilitation this whole process.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)