Bengaluru breathes easy with fewer vehicles on road following bandh

Friday’s bandh and Tuesday’s partial bandh saw a significant improvement in air quality as pollution on Friday dropped by an average of 40 per cent compared with data September 22 in five monitoring stations as per the data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), described by the officials as the direct result of reduced traffic that stresses the importance of boosting sustainable public transport and reducing individual vehicles on the road.

Fridays usually see high traffic movement as many in Bengaluru travel to hometowns. However, the data showed that the air quality index (AQI) in Kasturi Nagar improved to 34 (minimal impact on health) compared to the 73 (breathing discomfort) of the previous Friday, which was the result of a 53 per cent drop in pollutants in the air.

Within the available data, the monitoring station at RVCE Mailasandra on Mysore Road saw the biggest improvement in AQI from 122 last Friday to 37, a 69 per cent drop in the pollutants in the air. Shivapura recorded a 45 per cent drop in pollutants, while the fall was 24 per cent in Peenya, an industrial area, and 10 per cent in Saneguruvanahalli. 

The partial bandh on Tuesday saw a significant improvement in the city’s air quality index (AQI) with data from four monitoring stations showing that the reduced traffic movement has led to a drop in the pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and carbon dioxide.

Data from the CPCB showed that Tuesday’s AQI  at monitoring stations in Kasturinagar, RVCE Mailasandra, Saneguruvanahalli and Shivapura averaged 38 (minimal impact) as of 9 am on Tuesday, compared to the average of about 65 (minor breathing discomfort) on a regular weekday.

The AQI is calculated taking into consideration the amount of pollutants in the air, including PM 2.5, PM 10, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Ozone and others. Activists have been pointing out that India’s clean air standards are considered to be insufficient when compared with the safety limits of pollutants set by the World Health Organisation.

In Kasturi Nagar, the average amount of all pollutants was lower on Tuesday compared to Wednesday, when normalcy returned. The minimum and maximum PM 2.5 on Tuesday was 17 and 40 micrograms per cubic metre, while it was 26 and 49 micrograms/per cubic metre, respectively on Wednesday.

Within the low pollution levels, the PM 10 particles were the major pollutants, with the maximum concentration at 40 micrograms/cubic metre against Wednesday’s maximum of 49 micrograms/cubic metre.

However, there were several gaps in the data as monitoring stations at eight areas, including Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Station in Majestic, Silk Board and the one at Hebbal, had no details of the pollutants.

In its study of Bengaluru’s air pollution, the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy found that the transportation sector contributes to 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the total air pollution with the dust from the road accounting for an additional 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

Bengaluru has 1.11 crore vehicles as of August 2023, compared with about 45.9 lakhs as of the end of 2012-13. Data from the Transport Department shows that about 12,000 to 15000 vehicles are registered in the city every month.

Sources in the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board said the monitoring stations need to be increased to cover more areas of Bengaluru to arrive at a realistic picture of the city’s AQI.

“There was a proposal to increase the monitoring stations to keep tabs on the air quality in several parts of the city where people are currently unaware of the situation. However, there has been no progress in the matter as of now,” the source added.