Increased migration and number of cars in the city are some of the reasons for the rise in the harmful Particulate Matter 2.5 says scientist at Karnataka State Pollution Control Board
Bangalore, March 15, 2018: Particulate Matter 2.5 which adversely affects lungs and reduces visibility has increased over the last two years in the city says a report.
The study named Bengaluru’s Rising Air Quality Crisis: The need for sustained reportage and action conducted by Co Media Lab says that the PM 2.5 has exceeded its level of safety for the citizens of Bangalore.
The reason behind intense pollution level is due to the increasing number of vehicles on roads as there are 66 lakh vehicles in Bangalore out of which 50 lakh are two-wheelers, states the statistics given by the transport department of Karnataka.
“Due to the high level of migration from all the states, there has been an increase in pollution level as well. As 2,000 cars get registered every day in Karnataka” says Dr. B. Naggapa senior scientist at KSPCB.
The report claims vehicular emissions, burning of wastes and dust contribute 65 per cent to air pollution and are the primary culprits of poor air quality in the city. Tenpollution monitoring stations measure the pollution levels in different parts of the city. Five of these monitors were fitted in 2018 and interestingly, their data, available online shows that the level of pollution has declined in the past two years.
While data at individual stations doesn’t show steep decline in the pollution levels, there is a need for reliability and transparency of data says the report.
“The government is purposely not heading for alternative methods to lower pollution levels as they receive huge revenue from vehicle manufacturers. Adding to this, manufacturers create jobs, so it is benefitting the government in all ways,” said Kshitij, Environmentalist.
Air pollution is also one of the reasons to cause heart related diseases among the populace. Dr. Rahul Patil, a cardiologist who was present at the release of the study said, “Pollution triggers heart attacks. In the last 8 months, hundreds of cases in the under-40 age group have been registered and most of them are car and taxi drivers from Bengaluru who tend to spend long hours in traffic snarls, which has been increasing their risk of having an attack.”
