ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has rolled out a comprehensive Vehicular Emission Control Action Plan (VECAP) for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the climate change ministry announced on Sunday, marking a major policy initiative to combat air pollution and smog in the capital city.
The plan, unveiled by the climate ministry in coordination with the capital administration, Islamabad Transport Authority and Traffic Police, outlines both short- and long-term measures to regulate exhaust emissions, modernize urban transport and improve air quality in the capital.
After the heat-trapping industrial emissions, the rapidly increasing vehicular emissions have emerged as one of the leading sources of choking air pollution in Islamabad, according to Saleem Shaikh, a climate change ministry spokesman.
These emissions release high levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which contribute significantly to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
“This ambitious action plan provides a clear and viable roadmap to cleaner, healthier air for Islamabad’s citizens,” Shaikh said in a statement. “It moves beyond temporary measures and builds a structured, long-term framework that combines enforcement with innovation and public engagement through awareness and advocacy.”
