Lucknow: The urban air quality database released by World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday placed Lucknow at the 18th position among 20-most polluted cities in the world. The concentration of PM2.5 in the city's air is alarmingly 113 micrograms per cubic metre, much higher than the permissible 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
Environmentalists and experts, however, raise concern about the suspended particulate matter (SPM) even smaller than PM2.5 present in Lucknow's air.
''Superfine and ultrafine' particles, PM0.56, PM0.32 and PM0.18, much smaller than PM2.5 and PM10, were found in the air by Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) during the post-monsoon assessment of Lucknow's air in November last year.
At present, there are no permissible limits recommended for superfine and ultrafine particles in the country. These particles are so small that they remain suspended in the air and pose major health hazards to humans.
Unfit vehicles plying on city roads, along with an average 10% increase in the number of vehicles every year is the biggest cause of pollution. "Public transport system has not kept pace with the expansion of the city. There are 300-odd city buses, which is too less for public transport," said a transport department official. Three-wheelers plying as public transport are not available on all routes.
Economic growth, on the other hand, has increased the purchasing power of people as they are buying private vehicles. "Everyone who can afford is free to buy a vehicle. There can't be a law to restrain them from doing so, but it can be done by numerous indirect ways. Strengthening public transport is one," he said.
Unauthorised and unfit vehicles are multiplying since there is a huge demand for public transport. Regional Transport Office (RTO), Lucknow conducts on and off drive against unauthorised and unfit vehicles, but that's not enough to flush them out. Unfit vehicles are the biggest cause of air and noise pollution in the city. RTO Lucknow, on an average, seizes 400 unfit vehicles every month. Loading vans are the biggest defaulters.
RTO, at present, does not have an advanced system to check fitness of vehicles. At present, motor vehicle inspector (MVI) checks physical condition of the vehicle and issues a fitness certificate. While on-road vehicles can at the most be checked for their physical condition, to check fitness of off-road vehicles, RTO depends on the next inspection date (NID) certificate, which is issued to all transport vehicles.Rising air pollution level in the city has made Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) set up online (live) air quality monitoring stations at three locations in Lucknow, Talkatora District Industrial Centre, Lalbagh, Lucknow west and Central School, Aliganj.These stations monitor pollutants like particulate matter (10 and 2.5), lead, oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. AQI is the 24-hour average of the values recorded by all the stations in the city.
