[sustran] Here's the silver lining on B'lore's pollution cloud

[Vinay Baindur]

*Here's the silver lining on B'lore's pollution cloud*

Bosky Khanna. Bangalore

Here is one reason why Bus Day should occur not once a month, but right
through the year, every day. Statistics obtained from the Karnataka State
Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) show that there is a marked reduction in
pollution levels on Bus Day. On both February 4 and March 4, there were
lower levels of particulate suspended matter and other pollutants in city
air, tested at different points.

KSPCB chairman AS Sadashivaiah would like to err on the side of caution. He
warns that there is inadequate data to draw conclusions on consistent
patterns. The pollution levels are monitored at different locations in the
city, so comparisons across these different sites do not reveal much about
pollution levels at different points of time, he says. Air pollution levels
depend on multiple factors – dust levels, ongoing construction work, the
nature of the area surrounding the location where the pollution level is
monitored, whether it is residential or commercial, and the density of the
population. More data and systematic studies are necessary before
conclusions on the patterns of pollution can be established, Sadashivaiah
points out.
KSPCB data shows that the levels of respirable suspended particulate matter
(RSPM) on February 4, when the Bus Day was observed for the first time, at
Marathahalli (Old Airport Road) was 110 micrograms per metre cube (MPMC),
while on March 4, at Bannerghatta Road, it was 96 MPMC. The standard value
of RSPM is 100 MPMC.
Pollution Control Board data also shows significant reduction in carbon
monoxide levels at sites where pollution was monitored on Bus Day. CO2
levels fell by 12.73% on March 4. Although that is a note-worthy reduction,
there is need for more data to corroborate the inference that the reduction
in CO2 can be attributed to Bus Day.
What is significant is that the data also indicates a sharp increase in
pollution levels on the day after the Bus Day, showing that there is indeed
a link between lower levels of pollutants in the air and the mode of
transport. "It is good that the encouragement to ride the bus is fast
becoming a regular feature," said Sadashivaiah, cautiously optimistic about
the reduction of air pollution in the city.