True, the COVID-19 lockdown has severely strained the livelihoods of lakhs and played havoc with the economy. But one look beyond the quarantined homes, and you see a city in bloom, a Bengaluru blissfully unpolluted, greener and cleaner, beckoning memories of an era long gone.
The most dramatic turnaround has been in the air quality. As the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) confirms, the dip in the city Air Quality Index (AQI) has been remarkable, now hovering between zero and 50. With most polluting industries shut, and roads deserted, this was in the making for weeks.
The scales had begun to tilt right from April first week. In Peenya Industrial Area and City Railway Station, among the city’s most polluted, the lockdown had a significant impact. The withdrawal of all public transport and strict enforcement of the ban on private transport reduced vehicular pollution to near zero. The halt to construction activity settled the dust too.
Pollution down by 70%
The overall pollution in the city has reduced by an estimated 55% to 70%, informs a KSPCB official. “About 25% to 30% pollutants that still remain on the roads are due to re-suspension of fine dust, caused by wind flow and local movement.”
Vehicular emissions account for 42% of the pollution, while industrial and construction dust contribute 14% each. Re-suspension of dust is responsible for 20% of the pollutants, with DG sets and smoke from households and hotels making up the rest. Only vehicles of 10 essential service departments are now allowed to ply.
Suppression of dust and last week’s rainfall have helped improve visibility, the official notes. The reduction in noise pollution too has been substantial.
The dip in pollution has had a perceptible effect on the city’s plant and animal lives. Peafowls have been spotted on Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar, Malleswaram and surrounding areas. “Birds that were restricted to large green areas are now seen even in smaller compounds within the city,” notes ornithologist M B Krishna.
Birds flock to city
Turning to bird-watching with avid interest during the lockdown, Dhanush Reddy has spotted an amazing range of birds hitherto unseen in the city. “It was at 5.30 pm on April 11 when I spotted the Painted Stork flying high at Judicial Layout. Painted Storks are generally associated with winter in India,” he informs.
These are largely found in groups at the Ranganathittu and Kokrebellur bird sanctuaries. “It was shocking for me to spot a bird in Bengaluru. It flies all the way from Australia across the Indian Ocean every year!” Reddy also spotted the Bristled Grassbird. Their usual habitat are paddy fields and tall grasslands.
Rare bird-sightings have also been reported from Gubbalala village and Subramanyapura lake, both part of the Turahalli forest ecosystem.
Linked to pollution, the change is explained through a scientific lens. “Compounds such as peroxyacyl nitrates, commonly found in smog, act as growth retardants. Less pollution would mean less of these compounds. This can explain why flowers look brighter and plants look greener.”
Dust-free environment
Vehicular dust particles settle on roadside trees, making it tough for insects to thrive. With cleaner plants, insects return, and the birds flock in droves to feed on the insects. “The impact of less pollution is felt by the entire food chain, from small to large,” Krishna elaborates.
But a clearer, city-wide impact analysis can emerge only when researchers fan out to test the waters, sample the air at multiple locations and compare the findings across parameters. “Research and monitoring is critical to get a wider perspective. We don’t have the full data now.”
Data collation
Research institutions in the city should make use of the lockdown to collate data. “This is a beautiful opportunity to understand the changes. This is a citywide sandbox. The government needs to commission studies to collect critical environmental data, to study how the lockdown has affected the micro climate,” says Sathya Sankaran from Citizens for Sustainability (CiFoS).
From a mobility perspective, the lockdown offers several positives. Sankaran sees this period as another opportunity to experiment with sustainable modes such as cycling and walking. “Re-allocate the road space. Bus lanes, for instance, can be used for cyclists. Experiment with moving people smartly. Cycling and walking reduces the radius while boosting sustainability.”
Water bodies
The lockdown has left several city lakes appear less polluted, and even the Vrushabhavathi river look clean without toxic foam. Images of the lakes and river have surfaced on multiple social media platforms. However, not everyone is convinced as they see no evidence of a reduction in sewage flow.
As Ramprasad from Friends of Lakes point out, inflow of industrial effluents might have reduced, but domestic sewage has remained more or less intact. “Yes, during summer, sewage does reduce to a certain extent due to evaporation. But there is no supporting data collated through water sampling,” he notes.
Vrushabhavathi might look clean from the outside, but the pollution level remains high. Only a thorough composite and grab sampling can prove a reduction in pollutants, says Ramprasad. Composite sampling requires water samples to be collected from the same location every one or two hours for the entire day. The multiple samples are then mixed to generate the test sample.
Sewage inflow
Notorious for foam and fire due to extreme pollution, Bellandur and Varthur lakes appear serene but the sewage inflow has not abated. This has been confirmed by both residents in the vicinity of the lakes and the KSPCB officials.
Preferring anonymity, a Board official admits that any change can be gauged only with water sample-testing. Although reluctant to assign ground-level officers and data collectors for the job due to lockdown issues, the Board is reportedly preparing for a testing drive sometime next week.
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