The biggest killer in Kabul may not be the Taliban, but air pollution. Experts consider Kabul to be one of the most polluted cities in the world, and the scale of the problem has prompted a widespread government campaign.
The ministry estimates that some 3,000 people die from pollution-induced illnesses in Kabul yearly making them the biggest cause of natural death in this city of five million
years of war, the crumbling of public services and population explosion have plunged the city to the depths of environmental pollution rarely seen elsewhere in the world.
The biggest culprits are the 900,000 vehicles that clog the city streets
More than 80 percent of these are older than ten years
and the old cars lack catalytic converters
And the cars travel over mostly filthy, unpaved roads
Afghanistan imports very low-quality fuel
sample of 200 people found 80 percent had high levels of lead in their blood
spark the widespread usage of diesel generators
clipped from: www.ipsnews.net