Data shows air quality in Bengaluru has improved, but experts think otherwise

Experts attributed the improved air quality to climatic changes and opined that Bengaluru has a long way to go in improving air quality. They advocate for an immediate need to promote public transport and make it more economical.

Bengaluru: The air quality in Bengaluru has improved in 2023 as compared to the last few years, data from the ‘World Air Quality’ report revealed. In 2023, the average PM2.5 value for Bengaluru was 28.6 micrograms per cubic metre as against 31.5 micrograms per cubic metre recorded in 2022. This is also the best air quality the city has seen since 2018. 

The report, which concluded that India was the third most polluted in the country, also ranked Bengaluru as the 673rd most polluted city among the 7,812 cities that were assessed from across the globe. Bengaluru has, however, proven to be less polluted than many other metropolitan cities in the country including Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. 

However, experts attributed the improved air quality to climatic changes and opined that Bengaluru has a long way to go in improving air quality. 

“We should not be under the illusion that the air quality in the city is improving. The improvement recorded is mostly because of the climatic factors. The El Nino effect tends to disburse the particulate matter towards the coasts and this may have had an impact on Bengaluru’s air quality readings,” said Professor Gufran Beig, Chair professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). 

Professor T V Ramachandra from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) pointed out that the number of vehicles on the city roads was only increasing and vehicular emissions were among the major contributors to air pollution. Adding to it was the declining green cover, he said.

“When the vehicles on the road are only increasing by the day. Our study shows that nearly 70% of the Bengaluru citizens use two-wheelers. When such is the situation, we cannot expect any improvement in air quality,” he said. 

He suggested that there is an immediate need to promote public transport and make it more economical. “We need to ensure last-mile connectivity and better traffic management,” he said.

Professor Beig added that diesel vehicles should soon be converted to other fuel variants since they emit 10 times more pollutants.

In 2023, January, February and March recorded the worst air quality in the city, data revealed. This, Professor Ramachandra, said that was because the winter months usually reveal more air pollutants since the clouds are clear and there is no moisture in the air.