Air pollution has dropped in Bengaluru, thanks to some good rainfall recently, officials in the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) say. But the air is still dirty beyond permissible limits.
While the persistent rainfall in the recent months put citizens to hardship, what with flash floods and forcing them to stay indoors, it also has had some positive effects. It not only pushed up the ground water levels but also brought down air pollution. But noise pollution remained insulated.
As per the quarterly average values of air pollutants, monitored by the KSPCB in ten locations in the City between July to September 2014, the Respiratory Suspended Particulate Material (RSPM) has dropped by a larger extent compared with the previous analysis of April-June.
While the persistent rainfall in the recent months put citizens to hardship, what with flash floods and forcing them to stay indoors, it also has had some positive effects. It not only pushed up the ground water levels but also brought down air pollution. But noise pollution remained insulated.
As per the quarterly average values of air pollutants, monitored by the KSPCB in ten locations in the City between July to September 2014, the Respiratory Suspended Particulate Material (RSPM) has dropped by a larger extent compared with the previous analysis of April-June.
The board, which monitored the ambient air quality in industrial, mixed urban and sensitive areas of Bengaluru under the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), found that the RSPM level came down in the range of 4.5 to 65 per cent during July and September, compared with the first quarterly (April-June) monitoring which recorded up to 6.7 to 123 per cent. “The common polluting contents of Sulphur Dioxide and Oxides of Nitrogen as per our finding are within the limits, because the pollution due to the fuel emission has been taken care of with the introduction of green fuel. The City’s pollution is due to dust,” a senior KSPCB official told Deccan Herald.
The KSPCB monitored emissions at Graphite India, KHB Industrial Area, Yelahanka, Peenya Industrial area (Gymkhana), Peenya Industrial Area, Yeshwantpur police station, AMCO batteries, Mysore Road, Central Silk Board, DTDC House on Victoria Road, Banaswadi police station, Kajisomenhalli, CAAQM City railway station, Victoria Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (Nimhans).
The AMCO battery junction, which had 125.0 per cent more RSPM (than permissible limits of 100 milligrams per micron cube) during April-June, decreased to 65.3 per cent more in July-September. The 78.3 per cent more RSPM at the Central Silk Board junction has come down to 45.3 per cent.
At Graphite India junction, where 98.7 per cent excess was recorded earlier, the RSPM has now come down to 40.7 per cent. The Yeshwantpur police station, which recorded 11.6 per cent RSPM more, is now within the permissible limits. In Victoria Road, Industrial areas of Yelahanka and Peenya Industrial Area (Gymkhana), the RSPM is 10, 1 and 11 per cent more respectively.
According to KSPCB officials, transport vehicles are responsible for about 42 per cent to Bengaluru’s pollution, while road dust causes about 20 per cent of pollution. The industry and construction sector contributed 14 per cent to the City’s pollution.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/443855/rain-brings-down-b039luru039s-air.html
The KSPCB monitored emissions at Graphite India, KHB Industrial Area, Yelahanka, Peenya Industrial area (Gymkhana), Peenya Industrial Area, Yeshwantpur police station, AMCO batteries, Mysore Road, Central Silk Board, DTDC House on Victoria Road, Banaswadi police station, Kajisomenhalli, CAAQM City railway station, Victoria Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (Nimhans).
The AMCO battery junction, which had 125.0 per cent more RSPM (than permissible limits of 100 milligrams per micron cube) during April-June, decreased to 65.3 per cent more in July-September. The 78.3 per cent more RSPM at the Central Silk Board junction has come down to 45.3 per cent.
At Graphite India junction, where 98.7 per cent excess was recorded earlier, the RSPM has now come down to 40.7 per cent. The Yeshwantpur police station, which recorded 11.6 per cent RSPM more, is now within the permissible limits. In Victoria Road, Industrial areas of Yelahanka and Peenya Industrial Area (Gymkhana), the RSPM is 10, 1 and 11 per cent more respectively.
According to KSPCB officials, transport vehicles are responsible for about 42 per cent to Bengaluru’s pollution, while road dust causes about 20 per cent of pollution. The industry and construction sector contributed 14 per cent to the City’s pollution.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/443855/rain-brings-down-b039luru039s-air.html
