As B’luru unlocks, air quality falls back to pre-pandemic levels: Data

Bengaluru: As the Covid-induced lockdown is lifted, pollution level in Bengaluru is back to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, thereby indicating vehicular movement as one of the biggest contributors of air pollution across urban centres, according to data

Bengaluru: As the Covid-induced lockdown is lifted, pollution level in Bengaluru is back to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, thereby indicating vehicular movement as one of the biggest contributors of air pollution across urban centres, according to data.

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Experts say that lifting of curbs has ushered in a pattern of deceleration and acceleration that it now just takes weeks for a sharp difference in AQI (air quality index, a metric to report daily air quality) as against years earlier.

Data from the KSPCB (Karnataka State Pollution Control Board) shows that AQI during the lockdown from April 26, resulted in an improvement of 35.26% as compared to regular days. The AQI on normal days was in the range of 77 to 113, the highest on Mysuru Road, as against a range of 41-55 in May, when the BS Yediyurappa-led government announced a lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“While most people believe that traffic is the biggest source of pollution in Bengaluru, other activities like construction, destruction and the dust that rises with traffic is a huge problem that impacts AQI,” said a technical official at the KSPCB, on condition of anonymity.

Bengaluru, at least in the last two decades, has been in a constant state of construction with unrelenting road works, mushrooming high-rise buildings and rising traffic that has resulted in erosion of green cover, lakes and rapidly declining quality of air and water.

“There is an increase in the number of cars going to petrol stations as most of them have not been refuelled for more than a month,” said Madhusudhan Anand, the co-founder and chief technical officer (CTO) at Ambee, a start-up that builds hyperlocal environment data and intelligence in real-time globally.

Data from Ambee shows that average AQI before lockdown was at 90 which came down to around 60 during the restriction period and has climbed back to 87.

The AQI was marginally high even during the lockdown since there was a higher consumption of energy indoors, leading to emission.

Places like Nerriga, Handenahalli, Dommasandra, Attibele, Yadavanahalli, Bellandur, Mayasandra, Kugur and Sarjapur have AQI’s as high as nearly 160 post the lockdown.

According to KSPCB data, AQI is between moderate and satisfactory across all its real-time monitoring stations.

Experts do have their concerns on this analysis as most of KSPCB’s monitoring stations are placed away from the actual high-density traffic.

For instance, the air monitoring centre in BTM Layout, one of the most congested localities in Bengaluru, is placed around a canopy of trees near Madiwala lake and away from the main road, which is unlikely to capture the true extent of the pollution.

According to KSPCB, in its revised action plan for the control of air pollution in Bengaluru, the city’s AQI has fallen from 107.1 in 2014-15 to 88.1 in 2018-19, that shows a decreasing trend in the five-year annual average.

This data has been disputed even by elected representatives, apart from scientists and other experts on the subject.

The 41-point KSPCB action plan includes implementation of LPG and bio-fuels, promoting battery operated vehicles, effective disposal of construction debris and operation of the metro among other measures to decrease the harmful pollutants entering the air.

Bengaluru’s vehicle population is just shy of the 10 million-mark. The city also has almost all of its roads dug up in the guise of some project of the other, raising clouds of dust, reducing average speeds and keeping vehicles stationary for longer durations that adds to higher emissions, experts said.

“Only when it rains, it brings the particulate matter down but the chemical pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide will be high. Every day we are seeing it increase,” Madhusudhan said.

The state government is trying to promote non-motorised transport (NMT) like cycling and walking for short commutes but inadequate infrastructure and dug up footpaths and roads, among other factors, have added to its challenges.

Bengaluru’s prowess in Information Technology (IT), start-up ecosystem, aerospace and other infrastructure has given rise to the middle and higher middle-income groups, spurring aspirational possessions like private vehicles, homes, electric appliances among other products that have added to its challenges.

The delay in completion of metro, sub-urban rail and even increasing bus services has increased the dependence on private vehicles, which was exacerbated post the pandemic where people have steered clear of public transport for fear of contracting the virus.