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India’s Greenpeace report on air pollution, Save Air, reveals alarming levels of air pollution in Bengaluru and 10 other cities across the country. The report was released on Saturday. The year-long study, which analyzed data from September 2021 to September 2022, found that pollution levels were persistently and dangerously higher than the latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
“An average annual PM2.5 concentration in Bengaluru was found to be 29.01 μg/m3, which is 5.8 times higher than the safe levels (5 μg/m3) defined by the World Health Organization. These alarming levels of PM2.5 concentration have been recorded throughout Similarly, the city’s average annual PM10 concentration was found to be 55.14 μg/m3, 3.7 times higher than the safe levels (15 μg/m3).The city’s annual NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) concentration was also found to be 17.86 μg/m3, which is 1.8 times higher than safe levels (10 μg/m3). The city recorded such alarming levels of NO2 concentration over 342 days or 93.7 percent of all recorded days,” the report reads.
Particulate matter (PM) includes microscopic materials suspended in the air. PM10 includes particles less than 10 µm in diameter, while PM2.5 includes particles less than 2.5 µm in diameter.
The report is a wake-up call, highlighting once again the harsh reality that the people of Bengaluru are breathing dangerously polluted air. Vehicle emissions are a major contributor to PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations in urban areas. The newly formed government should tackle this crisis with the utmost urgency,” said Avinash Chanchal, Campaign Director, Greenpeace India.
The report also includes a list of recommendations to address the city’s growing air pollution, such as doubling the BMTC bus fleet. “The public bus service must become the natural and primary choice for transportation for individuals, which requires concrete steps such as doubling the size of the BMTC fleet, resuming all routes that were suspended during the pandemic, and implementing all 11 bus routes as soon as possible.” The bus is the solution to transportation problems. air pollution in Bengaluru.
Shifa, an avid cyclist and Greenpeace volunteer, said: “As Bengalis, it is our responsibility to stand up for and demand policies for the betterment of our beloved city. We must stop being reticent in the face of such sad statistics, it is time to take charge of our environment and hold those responsible accountable.”
The report focuses on the three major pollutants, namely PM2.5, PM10 and NO2, in cities like Bhopal, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna and Pune apart from Bengaluru. “Except for NO2 levels in Bhopal, all cities report dangerously dangerous levels of the three pollutants for the majority of the year, with annual averages and 24-hour peaks often exceeding the latest WHO guidelines,” the report says. .
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