Bengaluru: Three major cities in Karnataka — Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Mysuru — have registered deteriorating air quality as air pollution is on the rise, said a Greenpeace India report on Saturday (September 7). The report, ‘Spare the Air 2’ flags serious health concerns as the average PM 2.5 and PM10 levels soar in 10 major cities of southern India, significantly exceeding the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, is a type of air pollution that consists of tiny particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. PM10 is an air quality term for particulate matter that is 10 micrometers.
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The report has analysed the air quality standards of Hyderabad, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Mangaluru, Amravati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Mysuru and Puducherry.
The lead researcher of the report Akanksha Singh said, “Clean air is fundamental to our health, yet this report reveals that particulate matter levels in all cities have surpassed the revised WHO guidelines. While current efforts are focused on cities not meeting the national ambient air quality standards, it is crucial to also address those cities that are currently in compliance.
“Proactively managing air quality in these areas can help prevent them from falling into non-attainment.” When compared with WHO guidelines, the annual average PM2.5 levels are found to be six to seven times higher in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kochi, Mangaluru, Amaravati, and Chennai.
Additionally, comparing PM10 levels with WHO guidelines reveals that Bengaluru, Puducherry, and Mysuru have annual averages that exceed these guidelines by four to five times.
Selomi Garnaik, Greenpeace India’s campaigner said,
To address this, we continue urging the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to adopt a health-based approach in revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), striving to meet WHO’s latest scientific guidelines.
According to her, given the distinct pollution profiles and climatic conditions of southern cities, it is crucial to establish region-specific air quality standards aligned with local airshed management.
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Ms Garnaik added,
This tailored approach will ensure more effective measures for managing air pollution and safeguarding public health in these regions.
The report strongly advocates for new NAAQ standards considering the unique pollution profiles and climatic conditions of South Indian cities. It also recommends increased investment towards developing a ‘hybrid’ air quality monitoring network facilitating real-time public access to air quality information.
It further suggests that local governments should promote renewable energy solutions while also mapping the sectoral hotspot zones to develop targeted action points for effective pollution control as well as to create awareness programmes to encourage people to adopt sustainable practices such as public transport, electric vehicles and solar energy to reduce fossil fuel dependency.
Avinash Chanchal, Greenpeace India’s campaign manager said,
The report’s findings debunk the myth of cleaner air in the southern states. This report should serve as a wake-up call for the governments of southern cities. It’s imperative to adopt a comprehensive and long-term strategy to improve air quality, addressing the persistent major contributors such as emissions from vehicles, power plants, industry, waste, construction and other sectors.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
