PESHAWAR: The key project aimed at reducing air pollution and bringing unregulated brick kilns under the legal framework in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has not met its objectives and is now in danger of being shut down.
The program was launched in 2019 to rehabilitate traditional brick kilns by converting them to modern zigzag technology, a device capable of drastically reducing the release of polluted gases and allowing for the proper registration of brick kilns throughout the province.
One government insider revealed that over 1,200 brick kilns in the KP area are still operating without registration and that these kilns have been found to be significant emitters of carbon monoxide and various other air pollutants that eventually pave the way for environmental pollution. Targeting initially 700 brick kilns for conversion to the use of zigzag technology, the project could hardly achieve this goal and only 10 kilns have been reported to have been successfully converted.
The failure of the project to deliver on its promises has been cited as the reason for the federal government’s decision to stop funding the initiative; therefore, this project is no longer part of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Environmental specialists express concern that the termination of the project may lead to worsen the air quality situation that is already critical during the cold season when smog and air pollution become more intense in the northern parts of Pakistan.
The zigzag kiln program was introduced as a component of Pakistani policy to reduce air pollution and bring the country’s industrial sector into compliance with environmental regulations. Nevertheless, the province has suffered due to the lack of coordination, the shortage of funds, and the weak implementation mechanism.
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If the work on the project is not resumed, they say, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area will face a substantial increase in smog-related health and environmental challenges during the upcoming winter months.
