Islamabad - The Pollen Allergy Capital of the World

Islamabad is also known as the "Pollen Allergy Capital of the World". Every year in the spring season, residents of the twin cities are afflicted by pollen allergy and they have to adopt extra preventive measures.

The number of allergy patients goes up every year especially during March and April. The pollen count in Islamabad hovers above 30,000 particles per cubic meter during the peak season. And that is not considered a record high. It regularly tops 40,000 and there have been years when it went all the way up to 55,000. In March and early April, when the city blossoms with flowers and plants, nearly one-third of the population is afflicted by pollen allergy.

What causes this world-record-setting pollen count? In the 1960’s when Islamabad was being build, Broussonetia papyrifera or Paper Mulberry, as it is commonly known was imported and planted all over the city. The paper mulberry tree took to the climate and went wild. There are now hundreds of thousands of trees throughout the city. Islamabad is now a green city, as the city planners had envisioned, but most of the vegetation is paper mulberry.

Paper Mulberry does not require any external help to grow. You will find it growing in backyards, stream banks, sidewalks, empty plots -- practically any open space. This non-native species has also destroyed the native vegetation. These trees release high levels of pollen each spring.

Residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi afflicted with pollen allergy have been asked to adopt extra preventive measures during the spring season when pollen count ranges highest in mid March in the twin cities. The main signs of pollen allergy include sneezing, running nose, itching and watering of eyes, coughing, and difficulty in breathing.

According to Pakistan Metrological Department the pollen concentration is higher in E – 8, F -8, G - 7 and H-8 as these sectors have more paper mulberry trees.

 

There have been drives in the past to cull this horrendous plant, but they did not yield tangible results. It is a monster that is very hard to get rid of. But if nothing is done, people will continue to suffer. These trees should be chopped and can be replaced with a species that does not come with the baggage.