Our car-polluted city

Not just water-logging, Lucknow roads are now, bursting at the seams with vehicles. Individualism is threatening us! Lucknow already accounts for one lakh cars with more than 9,000 being added in the last one year. The city has over seven lakh two-wheelers. All these are owned by individuals. Compare that to the fact, that the city?s ?vehicle population? is almost 9 lakh. Lack of adequate public transport is leading to dangerous rise in individual transport. The growth rate of cars being added to the city traffic has crossed that of two-wheelers being 10.5 per cent and 9.7 per cent respectively.

Not just water-logging, Lucknow roads are now, bursting at the seams with vehicles. Individualism is threatening us! Lucknow already accounts for one lakh cars with more than 9,000 being added in the last one year.

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The city has over seven lakh two-wheelers. All these are owned by individuals.

Compare that to the fact, that the city’s ‘vehicle population’ is almost 9 lakh.

Lack of adequate public transport is leading to dangerous rise in individual transport. The growth rate of cars being added to the city traffic has crossed that of two-wheelers being 10.5 per cent and 9.7 per cent respectively.

Lucknowites burned over two lakh kilolitres of petrol-diesel last year.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Status of Lucknow — A Pre-Monsoon Survey Report released by Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC), Lucknow dubs vehicular pollution as the most menacing environment hazard factor. They contribute in biggest ways in both air and sound pollution.

While ringing the alarm bell, the report made recommendations that the public transport system must be strengthened and pool system be evolved to reduce individualism transport trend. It also recommended that encroachments should be removed for smooth flow of traffic. Traffic rules must be strictly followed. It recommended improvement of fuel quality and checking of fuel adulteration. It also recommends ban on pressure horns.

In most parts of the city the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter(RSPM) registered slight increase compared to last year. While most of the city areas experienced increase in Sulphur Dioxide(SO2). Situation with Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) is slightly better. Thankfully, lead content is falling, due to lead-free fuel.

The report discusses that the automobile exhaust directly influences ambient air quality in urban area. Overall the pollution levels show an upward trend with respect to RSPM, SO2, and formaldehyde (HCHO). There is some downward trend in NOx and Pb (lead).

The Environmental Monitoring Section, ITRC, conducts pre-monsoon and post monsoon surveys on environmental status of Lucknow every year. Dr SK Bhargava presented the report.