With Bangalore emerging as one of the top 20 polluted Indian cities, the public-sector Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) has funded a centre to treat air pollution diseases at the State-run SDS Tuberculosis Institute and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.

Institute Medical Superintendant Dr Shashidhar Buggi said the centre will identify danger-zones in the city and recommend corrective measures after conducting a detailed survey. The centre is the first of its kind in Karnataka and perhaps the third in the country.

“These days, many youngsters are suffering from lung ailments, as they are exposed to chemicals. We need a database on symptoms, possible causes and solutions. We need to frame a set of guidelines on how the problem can be tackled or minimised,” Dr Buggi told Deccan Herald.

A five-member committee has been formed to monitor the functioning of the centre, equipped with an initial funding of Rs 20 lakh from GAIL.

The centre will be operational within two months, starting with a sample survey on the effect of air pollution. Data will be collected in congested areas.

While water and noise pollution can be controlled — say by filtering water — the effects of air pollution, caused by suspended particles, sulphur dioxide or carbon monoxide, cannot be controlled easily, said the medical superintendant. Bangalore is one of the 22 cities that GAIL plans to supply compressed natural gas (CNG) to bring down pollution.