More than a third of the diesel vehicles plying in the city pollute beyond acceptable standards, reveals a Karnataka State Pollution Control Board study.

Between June 21 and July 18, KSPCB checked 1,978 petrol and diesel vehicles at check posts manned by the Transport Department. Of the 524 diesel vehicles, including cars, trucks and buses, tested, 36.3 per cent exceeded the national limit.

Correspondingly, just 12.5 per cent of the petrol vehicles tested were found to be polluting above the norms, notes the KSPCB, which adds that the study has been conducted to check the impact of vehicular emissions on air quality. Previous studies have shown that vehicles are the biggest contributors to particulate matter pollution. The ambient air quality has plummeted in the city as the number of vehicles registered has burgeoned. Particulate matter pollution in all 12 KSPCB monitoring stations exceeds the national limits in the range of 12 per cent to 200 per cent.

Ban 15-year-old vehicles

With a majority of polluting vehicles being more than 15 years old, KSPCB said they will request the Department of Environment and Ecology to ban such vehicles as well as two-stroke vehicles.

Incidentally, the National Green Tribunal is mulling over these proposals while hearing a plea on air pollution in urban areas. Two-stroke engines are far more polluting with an estimated 30 per cent of the exhaust fume comprising un-burnt fuel; 15-year-old vehicles tend to process fuel inefficiently, leading to higher pollution.

Officials estimate that nearly 5.5 lakh vehicles are older than 15 years while 2-stroke motorbikes and autorickshaws would add up to two lakh. “Once we receive KSPCB’s proposal, we will examine it and consult the departments concerned, particularly the Transport Department,” said Ramachandra, Secretary (Environment and Ecology).

KSPCB to request the Department of Environment and Ecology to ban 15-year-old and two-stroke vehicles in the city