The dragging fight against air pollution in Lima, Peru
With the purpose of bringing down Lima’s staggeringly high air pollution levels, Peru’s Citizen Defense organ (in Spanish: Defensoría del Pueblo) will launch a campaign in April which aims to look for alternative solutions to diminish this dangerous health risk primarily created by Lima’s high number of old motorized vehicles.
Carlos Alza Barco, responsible for the protection of public services and environment, informed they will summon public transportation companies, public and private authorities, institutions as well as regular citizens to attack this problem.
“The Defensoría del Pueblo launches this initiative because we are talking about the health and the life of our population”, he said.
Although technical revisions of older vehicles are planned, at the present time they would be worthless because the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima and the Lidercon Peru, the company in charge of conducting the inspections, do not have the legal means and authority to issue fines or take cars off the streets.
Alza Barco requested an “urgent meeting” between all parties involved in order to find a suitable solution. “We are not trying to ‘judicialize’ this subject”, he added.
The fuels sold throughout the country are highly dangerous because they contain high levels of sulfur, thus making Peru – and especially Lima – one the worst contaminated places in Latin America. This hazardous component generates lethal sulfur dioxide which is constantly emitted by vehicles. SO2 can cause lung problems, including breathing problems and permanent damage to lungs, including allergies and cancer.
To improve the situation, the Defensoría del Pueblo recently recommended to government-owned Petroperú “to set a timeline in which they can adjust its production for diesel fuels that are compatible with the people’s right of health”.
For the first week of May, the ombudsman also anticipates a national supervision on waste management. Vito Verna, head of the Environment department, explained that they have ask all local governments and municipalities to submit an informative report on the garbage situation in their area. After obtaining this information the Defensoría del Pueblo will publish its own report and make recommendations on how to make Peru a safer and healthier place to live.
(Spanish source: La Republica)
Wolfy Becker