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Pollution: official warns of action

The Hindu

High pollution attributed to rise in the number of vehicles on the road

BANGALORE: Transport Commissioner Om Prakash has warned of initiating stringent action against vehicles found to be causing air pollution.

He has exhorted all concerned to work towards bringing down the level of vehicular pollution in the State.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar organised by the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Bangalore Central, on the occasion of observation of November as the Pollution Awareness Month here on Thursday. He said the department had been organising drives to check air pollution.

Mr. Om Prakash pointed out that the level of vehicular pollution had reached its peak due to spurt in the number of vehicles from 14 lakhs in 1991 to 54 lakhs in 2005.

Environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy said besides making efforts to reduce vehicular pollution, planting of saplings should be taken up on a war footing. Expressing concern over the shrinking forest area and also the green cover, Mr. Reddy said trees absorbed carbon dioxide, reducing the level of pollution.

Ramalinga Setty, children's specialist, said that children had become the victims of vehicular pollution.The department has organised a special drive to check overloading of sand-laden lorries. Mr. Om Prakash, in a press release, stated that the excess load removed on the spot as per Section 114 of the Motor Vehicles Act.