Bengaluru chokes on dirty air

The Times of India , Friday, August 14, 2015
Correspondent : Rohith BR & Sreemoyee Chatterjee
Bengaluru is a city in which it's hard to breathe. Yet, the pollution control board has only 13 monitors across the 700-odd sqkm of the city.

The fact that 10 of these 13 monitors have recorded respirable suspended particulate matter in excess of the permitted levels is testimony to the fact the city needs to measure and control air pollution more effectively .

In places like Central Silk Board junction near BTM Layout -the most polluted place in the city -the respirable suspended particulate matter is 146% above the national average. Respirable suspended particulate matter are microscopic matter of a diameter less than 10 micrometres, which means they enter the lungs easily and cause breathing difficulties. Particulate matter is produced from combustion processes, vehicles and industrial sources. In Bengaluru, it's not just the phenomenal increase in vehicles that has led to the spike in air pollution. Deteriorating air quality is also the result of poor urban planning, says Leo Saldanha, environmentalist and co-ordinator, Environment Support Group."Congestion on roads is mainly due to the top-down approach to planning. Solutions that will work on the ground are lacking. This is where the role of corporators comes in. If they can raise their voices for a city with cleaner air, we can see some light in tackling pollution," he said.

The worst affected by air pollution are children. In a recent nationwide survey conducted by a non-profit organization Heal Foun dation, it was found that 86% of schoolchildren in Bengaluru have poor lung capacity due to extensive exposure to vehicular pollution.

Dr H Paramesh, director, Lakeside Medical Centre and paediatric pulmonologist, has observed that children in schools near traffic-heavy zones tend to have breathing difficulties due to constant inhalation of pollutants. He pegs the number of children who fall ill regularly with respiratory illnesses at 30%. "The worst consequence of air pollution is that the pollutants bring about a considerable change in the genetic pattern as a result of which new health disputes keep coming up. If pollution continues to grow in the city we are sure to face a critical health crisis," he said.

A World Health Organisation study last year revealed that ozone, another by-product of diesel emission, is a potent contributor to respiratory disorders. But, the Karnataka pollution control board does not monitor ozone levels. The new council will have to tackle air pollution and recommend strong steps as well as collect data on pollutants. The council should make pollution part of the mandate of its standing committee on health. Urban experts also say the new council should review the parking policy, suggest ways to decongest CBD, push for mass transport and think of new measures to tackle pollution.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Bengaluru-chokes-on-dirty-air/articleshow/48476469.cms
 


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