Total PM10 emission load for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will reach around 28,000 tonnes per year by 2024, a 15% increase from the 2019 levels under the business-as-usual scenario (BAU), says a new study conducted by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).
CSTEP released two studies – ’Emission Inventory and Pollution Reduction Strategies for Bengaluru’ and ‘Identification of Polluting Sources for Bengaluru – Source Apportionment Study’ -- that were undertaken under the aegis of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).
The studies identified transportation and road dust as the biggest contributors to air pollution in Bengaluru. The source apportionment study found that the annual mean ± standard deviation of PM2.5 mass concentration for Bengaluru is less than the annual permissible limit specified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), while that of PM10 mass concentration is around 1.3 times higher than the CPCB limit. It also found that the transportation sector emissions contribute the most to PM2.5 pollution, while soil dust is the top contributor for PM10.
Pratima Singh, who heads the Centre for Air Pollution Studies at CSTEP, said, “The study found transportation to be the major contributor (40 to 51%), followed by road dust resuspension (17 to 51%). Other polluting sectors, include construction dust, domestic fuel, and diesel generators.”
The studies were supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shakti Foundation to generate scientific data and contribute to India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Researchers recommended a multipronged approach to control particulate matter emissions. To curb pollution from transportation, they encouraged the deployment of electric vehicles with charging stations at regular distances along with the proper implementation of the vehicle-scrapping policy.
The reports also highlighted the need for regular servicing of public transport vehicles, such as shared autos, buses, and heavy vehicles (dumper trucks, trolleys), to curb pollution. They recommended vacuum sweeping of dust from paved roads, laying end-to-end pavements and covering barren areas on the roadside with green cover, and studying the efficacy of mechanical sweepers before deploying them.
To tackle construction dust, the authors recommended keeping construction material fully covered while in transit. Further, construction buildings should be covered vertically with fine screens, and material stored on construction sites should be covered properly. Efforts to provide last-mile connectivity for transporting debris to processing plants can also aid in reducing pollution levels, they said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who released the reports on Friday, said the State Government will work with the KSPCB to control the problem of air pollution in Bengaluru. “However, scientific studies are essential to understand the problem and for this we need to work hand in hand with research institutes,” he said.
CSTEP added that if the key recommendations from these studies are implemented, Bengaluru can see possible concentration reductions of 26.5%, 13.5%, and 9.6% for high, medium, and low-emission reduction scenarios (measures clubbed with varying levels of compliance), respectively, for both PM10 and PM2.5 by 2024.
“The recommendations from these studies will help modify the action plan developed under NCAP for effective implementation. This will help plan and prepare futuristic strategies for making Bengaluru a model city with an improved quality of life for citizens, better environment, and ecology,” KSPCB Chairman Shanth A Thimmaiah was quoted in a release.