Bengaluru chokes on air pollution, vehicular traffic and emissions major reasons

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is choking on air pollution. The city's air quality is often in the unhealthy or hazardous range, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).

This means that the air is unhealthy to breathe for everyone, but especially for people with heart or lung diseases, older adults, and children. The poor air quality in Bengaluru is due to a number of factors, including rapid urbanization, increased traffic congestion, and industrial pollution.

Vehicular traffic and waste burning are the major contributors to air pollution in Bengaluru, accounting for 25% of the problem.

Severe air pollution increases the likelihood of premature death and a variety of health problems.

Avinash Chanchal, Campaign Manager at Greenpeace India, said that the most polluted areas in Bengaluru are commercial and traffic-congested areas.

This clearly proves that vehicular traffic is the main cause of air pollution in the city. He suggested that using public transportation can help to significantly reduce air pollution.

In 2022, there were an estimated 12.5 million vehicles registered in Bengaluru, and the number is increasing every year. These vehicles emit harmful pollutants into the air, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

Public transport is a more sustainable way to travel than private cars. Shaheen Shasa, a member of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, which promotes public mobility, said, "There are millions of private vehicles on the streets of Bengaluru, but only 6,000 buses. Is that enough for a population of 14 million?"

She added, "I understand that the government does not make a profit from public transportation, but public service is not something that should be run for profit." 

She also said that the government is failing to look at the big picture of what could be achieved if there were good public transportation in place, while they are too focused on the small losses incurred by public buses.

A study by the IISc found that if all private vehicles in Bengaluru were replaced with public buses, it would reduce air pollution by up to 30%.

The study also found that using public transport would save people money on fuel and parking costs.

Advocate Vinay Sreenivasa told News Trail, “Air pollution is not just an environmental issue, it is also a question of social justice. Those who drive cars and pollute the air are often the ones who suffer the least from the effects of air pollution.

Bus users and pedestrians, who cause the least pollution, are often the ones who suffer the most.”

He also added that no political party is serious about curbing air pollution or has the will to reduce the number of private vehicles. Possible Actions Shaheen Shasa urged the government to ensure effective first and last-mile connectivity and make buses more reliable by increasing the fleet.

She also suggested that minibuses could be deployed in areas where normal buses are inaccessible and that all possible gaps in public transport should be analyzed and filled.

Additionally, she proposed that private transportation be made more expensive, such as through heavy taxes and parking charges, in order to encourage people to switch to public transport.

Avinash suggests that individuals can make a huge difference by adapting to using public transport whenever possible, or by choosing to travel in eco-friendly modes of transport such as bicycles or electric scooters.

He also urged people to invest some time in proper waste management and segregate their waste.

Vinay Sreenivasa suggests, “We need to charge high parking fees and undertake other measures to cut the number of private vehicles.”