[sustran] Re: [cai-asia] Re: PSI

KISAN MEHTA kisansbc at vsnl.com
Fri Jul 4 15:35:49 JST 2003


Dear Friends,

Sorry for late entry into this discussion.

Study of SPM whether PM 25, PM 10 or PM2.5 or any other pollutant for
that matter, has ultimately to have programmes to control them.  Our
observations are that our authorities get studies made just to meet the
growing citizen concern but never to take up sincere mitigation action.

Let us record our experience in Mumbai, India's second largest city
with 12 million population (Census of India 2001).  The authorities  took
up Mumbai Urban Transport Project costing appro a 1,000 million US
Dollars involving 8 lane roads with flyovers through slum localities
where the poor are made to face poisonous discharges from speeding
vehicles and .  Construction of pavements not included so vehicles zoom
through unpaved side walks hardly 5 m away for slums.  The World Bank
has supported such roads by extending loan upto 86% for roads against
46% for the railway component. When citizen groups drew the attention
of the authorities and the Bank, the number of carriageways has increased
with the Bank blessing from 6 to 8 with no commitment on constructing
of pavements.

Automobiles contribute the maximum to the SPM yet there is no
restriction on the movement of vehicles.  All this in Mumbai having an
average population density of 27,000 per sq km, the highest in the world.
Mumbai has also the highest road accident rate in the world. The Bank
records in its document that 95% of accident victims are pedestrians.
Yet no corrective measures.  Probably as the Bank motto is to support
motorisation, it is natural that it cannot do anything to reduce SPM levels.

The authorities are not concerned by Court orders,  The Mumbai High
Court has directed the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to
construct pavements where they do not exist and restore where they are
in bad shape.  The BMC spends on average Rs 3 billion (Rs 47 make one
US $) annually on road construction but pavement construction is not
included in the programme. Not a sinble pavement is constructed.

The BMC and State Govt Pollution Control Authorities maintain SPM
upto PM 10 levels but what is the use?  Sometimes we feel that studies
are carried out to silence the law abiding citizens.   Best wishes.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Prakash Doraiswamy" <pdorai at utk.edu>
To: "Clean Air Initiative -- Asia" <cai-asia at lists.worldbank.org>
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 10:44 AM
Subject: [cai-asia] Re: PSI


> That is interesting to know that there is a website that would tell us
what
> the AQI is in different parts of India.  I was thinking, however, that
while
> US and other areas are now into fine particles (PM2.5) and ultrafine
> particles, India is still sticking to suspended PM (SPM) and I guess PM10
> for selected areas (?).  Does anyone know if the pollution control board
is
> thinking of monitoring PM2.5 ?  I am actually glad to know that monitoring
> sites exist for monitoring air quality and that information is available
to
> the public.  However, I am just raising the question if any progress is
> being made towards considering fine particle monitoring?
>
> Thanks,
> Prakash
>
> Prakash Doraiswamy
> Ph.D. Candidate
> 70, Perkins Hall,
> Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering,
> University of Tennessee,
> Knoxville, TN - 37996
>
> Email: pdorai at utk.edu
> Ph: (865) 974-4785 (office)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dr. Mukesh Sharma fc ce [mailto:mukesh at iitk.ac.in]
> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 6:54 AM
> To: Clean Air Initiative -- Asia
> Cc: Clean Air Initiative -- Asia
> Subject: [cai-asia] Re: PSI
>
>
> Dear Viv Shekhar:
>
> As mentioned by Mr. N.V. Iyer, it is true that we have developed an AQI at
>  IIT Kanpur. For the purpose of AQI information dissemination, we have
> developed the website <http://home.iitk.ac.in/~mukesh> - visit the site
> you will get some useful information.
>
> You may also look into the following references for better understanding
of
> AQI and what other countries have done about AQI.
>
> Babcock, L.R. and Nagda, N.L. 1972. Indices of Air Quality. In Indicators
> of Environmental Quality (Ed) W.A. Thomas, Plenum Press, New York
>
> GVAQI.1997. Greater Vancouver Regional District Air Quality and Source
> Control Department, Burnaby, BC, Canada
>
> Malaysia. 1997. A Guide to Air Pollutant Index in Malaysia. Department of
> Environment, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
>
> Ontario. 1991. A Guideline to the Ontario Air Quality Index System. ISBN
> 0-7729-8230-9 Air Resource Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment,
> Toronto, Ont. Canada
>
> Sharma M., Maheshwari, M. And Pandey R. 2001, Development of Air Quality
> Index for Data Interpretation and Public Information. Department of Civil
> Engineering, IIT Kanpur, Report submitted to CPCB, Delhi.
>
> UK (1998). Air Pollution - what it means for your health. Department the
> Environment, Transport and the Regions. PO BOX No 236, Wetherby LS23 7NB,
> UK
>
> USEPA (1976). Federal Register, Vol41 No 174- Tuesday September 7, 1976
>
> USEPA (1998). Federal Register Vol.63 No. 236/Wednesday, December 9, 1998
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> As far I know no AQI has incorporated synergistic effects of pollutants as
> these effects are not fully understood and there are no criteria
> developed for synergistic effects of air pollutants..
>
> Hope this is useful to you..
>
> Dr. Mukesh Sharma
> Associate Professor
> Department of Civil Eng.
> IIT Kanpur
> Kanpur 208016, India
> ------------------------------------
> Phone: +91 (512)2597759 (work)
>        +91 (512) 2591297/2598231 (resi)
> Fax:   +91 (512) 2597395/2590260
> E-mail: mukesh at iitk.ac.in
> ------------------------------------
>
> On Thu, 3 Jul 2003, NARAYAN V IYER wrote:
>
> > Dear Viv Shekhar,
> > The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has proposed Indian Air
Quality
> Index
> > (IND-AQI) based on health effects through a project sponsored by the
> Central
> > Pollution Control Board (CPCB). You may find the details in the website
> > <http://home.iitk.ac.in/~mukesh/basis.html>.
> > You may also look at the cpcb website <http://envfor.nic.in/cpcb>
> > Best regards,
> > N.V.Iyer
> >
> > viv shekhar wrote:
> >
> > > Hello Friends!!
> > >
> > > I am a researcher working in the field of air
> > > pollution. I think many Asian countries do not use air
> > > quality index for smog or as a health alert system .
> > > Could any body please guide me, which are the best and
> > > realistic methods that reflect the actual health
> > > concerns and impacts of air pollutants on health? I
> > > sense so many pollutants might be reaching to high
> > > levels so the Index would have to take care of the
> > > synergistic effect also.
> > >
> > > With warm regards,
> > >
> > > Viv Shekhar
> > > Mumbai, India
> > >
> > > __________________________________
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> > >
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