Bengaluru: Wonder why you are coughing while driving via the bustling Silk Board junction in the city? It’s all because of the burgeoning city population and the consequent increase in vehicle numbers, which have taken a toll on air quality.
As per the air quality index released in August this year, among the thirteen pollution monitoring stations in the city, only Saneguruvanahalli scored a ‘good’ rating with nine stations registering ‘satisfactory’ and two, ‘moderate’
readings.
Silk Board and KHB industrial area stations reported a high concentration of particulate matter (PM10), which is mainly released by vehicles. Between 2010 and 2014, the city had seen a 57 per cent increase in PM10 and in 2014-15, the levels increased by 23 per cent. The nitrogen oxide levels too have increased during this period.
Despite suggestions by the Supreme Court to reduce diesel vehicles in cities, no steps have been taken in Bengaluru.
