What the Pollution Control Board (PCB) has gifted to people of Jammu on World Health Day today is the report of the city having alarming level of air pollution that surpasses even metros of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.

The report submitted by the PCB in the high court states that the level of suspended particulate material (SPM) here was 638.8 against 460 of Delhi and Kolkata and 230 of Mumbai.

The level of air pollution here was higher than the critical limit defined by the World Health Organisation and ambient air standard prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Chief Justice B.A. Khan and Mr Justice J.P. Singh have taken a serious note of the level of air pollution here.

With the authorities having failed to implement the pollution control laws in the state, the high court, on the basis of a public interest litigation, issued a series of directions to set things right.

However, the government steps in this direction appear to be half-hearted as pollution control perhaps does not appear high on its agenda. The government has succumbed to pressure of different types of mafia, including transporters, builders and mining, operating here to destroy the environment and ecology.

The status of the PCB indicates that vehicular pollution was the highest here. Total pollution load added from vehicular emission to the environment was estimated at 2315 kg, which includes 21 kg. of SPM, 66 kg. Sulphur dioxide, 380 kg. Nitrogen-dioxide, 595 kg. Hydrocarbons and 1243 kg. Carbon mono-oxide. This level of pollution was more than dangerous to human life.

The report indicates that the level of air pollution here was higher than that of other cities that had larger number of industrial units.

Comparative level of SPM in other cities is Chennai (150), Kanpur (350), Nagpur and Jaipur (230), Ahmedabad (200), Bangalore (180) and Hyderabad (150).

Following orders of the high court, the authorities recently started implementing the law pertaining to the regular pollution check of vehicles. However, it is very rare that traffic police personnel check pollution control certificate of any vehicle. Trucks, buses and other vehicles spewing out black smoke in city limits is a common sight.