Bengaluru gets ₹450 crore to improve city's ‘poor’ AQI

The BBMP, Bengaluru's civic body, has allocated ₹450 crore to tackle the city's “poor” air quality, however experts say there is no clarity on what projects will be taken on.

Updated on: Mar 10, 2023, 09:41:29 IST

By Yamini C S

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Bengaluru's civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is geared up to control the high AQI levels in the city, having allocated ₹450 crore for putting fresh measures in place to mitigate the same.

The BBMP allocated ₹450 crore to improve air quality in Bengaluru. (Hindustan Times/Image for representation) (HT_PRINT)

Jayaram Raipura, the BBMP's special commissioner for finance, announced several measures in his budget speech on Thursday, including the construction of parks below flyovers and tech corridors.

"Action will be taken to reduce air pollution by constructing fountains at 75 main junctions in Bangalore. Efforts will be made to transform the city into a green zone with shuttle service around metro stations, promotion of electric cars and similar such services,” he said.

READ | BBMP Budget 2023-24 Highlights: Focus on storm water drains, flyovers

Experts however claim that there is no clarity on what measures will be taken to control air pollution. “It is very obvious that the bulk of air pollution is caused by construction activities, vehicles, and manufacturing or industrial activities, and there is no policy in the direction of reduction, mitigation or discouragement of any of these,” Sandeep Anirudhan, a civic activist said in a critique of the BBMP budget.

Bengaluru city has been observing “poor” AQI levels for months now, touching a one-month high of 139 on February 4. On Saturday morning, AQI levels were at 119, in “poor” category, with the major pollutant being carbon monoxide.

READ | Amid clear skies, Bengaluru's AQI still “poor”

Air quality in Bengaluru went downhill in October, after the winter effect and the Deepawali celebrations. An official from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had earlier said natural air purification was being prevented by the constant cloud cover in the city, which does not allow wind movement. Air quality in the city is expected to go up to healthier levels once clear skies persist, he had added.

However, despite having clear skies for over a month, AQI has been over 100 and reaching 120 in some areas this past week, according to data on AQI.in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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