Social Survey Based Planning for Improved Ambient Air Quality of Grand Trunk Road Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract                                                  

Peshawar city is a typical example of ribbon development growing along the East and West mobility corridor known as Grand Trunk Road. The City is a provincial capital and attracts peoples from rest of the province for education, commercial and business activities.  This attraction is directly proportional to population growth in Peshawar. This scenario resulted in traffic increase and caused air pollution and traffic jam. Objective of this research is to know the community’s perception and to analyze different parameters (CO, NOx, PM_10, O_3, and Noise) in the ambient air of the Grand Trunk Road in Peshawar. It also to recommends a mitigation policy guideline for an environment friendlier urban transport corridor. Available data regarding air quality of the study area was analyzed and a Social Survey was carried out for collecting information. The study analyzes the records of transport-induced air pollutants over the past decade. The social survey results are annexed with the present available ambient air quality data for a comprehensive outlook of the problem. The assessment of the results shows that COx, SOx and O₃ are within the permissible limits of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), while PM₁₀ and Noise level is violating the NEQS. The expected increased volume of traffic to be induced from the new land development projects will also increase the pollution level of the parameters which are within the permissible limits of NEQS. For the mitigation and control of the above parameters and expected increase to be occurred, a comprehensive recommendations based on the findings of this study have been suggested.

      Keywords: Ambient Air Quality, vehicular emission, air pollutants, social impacts, NEQS, SO_2, CO, O_3, PM₁₀