KABUL (PAN): The National Environment Protection Agency of Afghanistan on Tuesday said it had so far burnt more than 178 tonnes of sub-standard gases to protect the ozone layer.
Carbon tetra chloride, chlorofluorocarbon and methyl bromide are the gases that damage the ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas that protects the earth from the harmful portion of sun rays and helps preserve life on the planet.
HERAT CITY (PAN): A modern fuel-testing laboratory was inaugurated at the Islam Qala Dry Port in western Herat province on Monday, a move to prevent the import of low-quality oil, officials said.
The import of sub-standard fuel would be checked with the establishment of the lab that cost $5 million provided by the Norms and Standards Department, hoped the deputy head of the department, Mujibur Rahman Khateer.
JALALABAD (PAN): Doctors and residents say gas-powered rickshaws are a cause of several health problems in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.
The three-wheelers cause respiratory, cancer and skin ailments for the people due to the increasing air pollution in the city, public health official Dr. Yousuf Ahadi told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Continuous smoke damages plants, leaving parched newly-planted sapling along roads, he added.
KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): A multitude of auto-rickshaws, which cause air and noise pollution, have made routine life miserable for dwellers of Kunduz City, the capital of northern Kunduz province, officials and residents complained on Wednesday.
In the city, there has lately been a dramatic increase in the number of the motorised three-wheelers, emitting a lot of smoke and making a disturbing noise, with drivers playing loud music.
KABUL (PAN): President Hamid Karzai has asked Afghan traders to avoid importing low-quality fuel and gas that cause pollution in the country.
During a biweekly address to the nation on Friday night, Karzai said air pollution created respiratory problems and other health hazards to women, children and old men.
SHIBERGHAN (PAN): Baba Murad lines a barrel with cloth and pours buckets of water into the container. After he empties four buckets, small frogs and worms can be seen clinging to the cloth.
Muard gets his water from the local pond, and like everyone else in Se Shanbi village, 14 kilometres from Sheberghan City, he must filter his water before drinking it.
“There is one pond for 10 villages and it is polluted and dirty,” he says.
