Is this for real: City among 10 least polluted

Feel-good factor: City among 10 least polluted
The Times of India

Bangalore: A trip down any of the Bangalore’s busy roads will leave one choking on pollutants, but a national survey has found that the city is among 10 least polluted cities in the country.

In its rating of 52 cities and towns, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as part of its National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAAQMP), has categorised Chennai as the least polluted city while Bangalore stands at 43 with a respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) count of 71 mg/cubic metre.

The ranking of the 52 cities is on most to least basis, with the most polluted city being Raipur in Chattisgarh, while at the 52nd spot is Chennai, categorised the cleanest city in the country.

The ranking is an annual exercise based on RSPM data collected from over 300 stations located in 115 cities across the country. In Karnataka, three stations in Bangalore and and two in Mysore record data. In Bangalore, the stations are located in Amco Batteries premises on Mysore Road, Graphite India in Whitefield and Victoria Hospital (shifted temporarily from Anand Rao circle due to construction of flyover).

“As part of the NAAQMP, each monitoring station receives Rs 50,000 each year from CPCB. Data is collated and sent each year for compilation,’’ Karnataka state pollution control board (KSPCB) member secretary B. Ramaiah told The Times of India.

But, despite Bangalore’s low ranking when compared with other metros Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, KSPCB said the RSPM count needs to be brought down further.

“We have developed several norms governing various sectors. Traffic management forms a big part since exhaust contributes a great deal to RSPM. However, the transport department now registers only Euro II or Bharat II vehicles which comply with international emission norms,’’ he said. KPSCB’s insistence on cleaner fuel like unleaded petrol has also contributed to Bangalore’s ranking coming down.

“On the Ring Road alone, we identified 1,600 industrial units and asked them to install pollution control equipment. Except two major industries, which have sought time till December, all others have complied. In addition, we have also identified diesel generators generating 3.17 lakh KV of power and asked them to switch to low-sulphur content fuel,’’ he said.