ISLAMABAD, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- To mitigate air pollution vows, as many as 49 out of a total of 63 traditional brick kilns have switched to the environment-friendly zigzag technology in Pakistan's federal capital Islamabad, according to an official of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Cooperation.
Four air-polluting brick kilns have been dismantled, and the remaining 10 are shifting to the modern zigzag technology, the ministry's spokesperson Muhammad Saleem said on Sunday, adding that the technology would help reduce carbon emissions levels by 60 percent and save kiln owners energy expenses by 30 percent.
The spokesperson said that the traditional brick manufacturing sector significantly contributes to the country's breath-choking air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as brick kilns rely on dirty energy sources to bake bricks and emit lethal carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Highlighting the adverse impacts of black smoke emitted by the traditional brick kilns, Saleem said that it is extremely harmful to the environment as well as public health, causing asthma, respiratory diseases, eye infections and other various lung-related diseases.
The conventional kilns also remained the major source of air pollution, climate change and deforestation, he added.
"Given the backdrop of adverse health and environmental impacts, the efforts were taken by the authorities to introduce the zigzag technology to not only mitigate the issues of emission of toxic black carbons but also improve overall air pollution in the federal capital and its adjoining areas," he said. ■
