Bengaluru's air quality worsened 8% in 2022: Study

Bengaluru saw a higher level of PM2.5 in 2022 than in 2021 as the city resumed normal day-to-day activities with employees returning to office after the pandemic effect ebbed.

Published on: Mar 18, 2023, 16:36:47 IST

By Yamini C S

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In yet another study, Bengaluru's air quality was observed to have deteriorated in 2022, when compared to 2021. Switzerland-based firm IQAir, in it's 2022 World Air Quality Report, said Bengaluru's air quality worsened by over 8 per cent in 2022.

Bengaluru's PM2.5 levels were 8.6 per cent higher in 2022 than in 2021. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

Bengaluru had PM2.5 levels of 31.5 µg/m³ in 2022, 8.6 per cent higher than the 29 µg/m³ recorded in 2021. November was the worst month for the city, with PM2.5 levels at 45.8 µg/m³. The PM2.5 levels in the city went from 18.1 µg/m³ to 36.9 µg/m³ from September to October, the report said. This is when the air quality in the city went downhill after the winter effect coupled with Deepawali celebrations.

READ | Bengaluru among cities that faced worst air pollution in winter: Study

Bengaluru's air quality was at its best in Monsoon season - from June to August - with PM2.5 levels at 14 to 15 µg/m³. The city saw high levels between 37 and 46 for the first four and the last three months of 2022.

This comes after a similar study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) which came out with a report analysing winter air pollution trends in five major cities across India, including Bengaluru. The report said Bengaluru saw the fastest worsening of PM2.5 levels, and also experienced the worst peak pollution this winter in the last four years.

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

In relief, Bengaluru's civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) allocated ₹450 crore in this year's budget to control the high AQI levels in the city.

The BBMP has looked at introducing fresh measures to mitigate pollution, such as the construction of parks below flyovers and tech corridors. The civic agency will also be constructing fountains at 75 main junctions in Bengaluru, and transform the city into a green zone with shuttle service around metro stations, promotion of electric cars and similar such services.

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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