‘Chandigarh admn, state govt should check rise in pollution levels’, says Professor Manju Mahan

Tell us about the things done to control it?
The Chandigarh Administration needs to work with the government and convince them to check the increasing pollution level in the entire region.

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Do think the Odd-Even formula adopted by the Delhi government can work in Chandigarh?
The Odd-Even formula has created a lot of buzz and people have started thinking on those lines. It is a good step, but it can’t be adopted as a long term strategy to contain pollution.

Are you saying that Odd- Even formula is not an option alone?
Yes, because vehicular pollution is not the only source, which is causing the problem. Even if the Odd-Even is implemented, we need to improve our public transport. We have to construct better roads and pavements, which will promote cycling among the citizens, which in turn will reduce the usage of private vehicles.

Other than pollution, what are the problems, which exists in and around Chandigarh?
The other problems that needs to be looked into is burning of biomass, which is causing regional pollution elsewhere.

Tell us how air pollution affects the health?
We know that air pollution impacts our health severely. The recent global burden of diseases claim that about 64,00,000 gets affected due to air pollution. For those living in major cities like Delhi, it’s been reported that they have blemished lungs when they are operated as compared to someone from a rural or cleaner city. We need to tackle the issue so that this problem no longer exists.

Do you think people are aware about the severe effects of pollution?
Several awareness programmes are being carried out in bigger cities by advocacy groups of NGO’s. We know now what needs to be done, but it needs a mechanism so that all bodies can come together to fight it.

What is role of the government? Is it doing enough to tackle the issue?
No, I don’t think so. Much more needs to be done by the government, which has a crucial role to play. Nothing can happen without their support. They have to do whatever needs to be done. But again, I feel that the onus doesn’t lie on a single body. It is the responsibility of everyone.

What do you think needs to be done to check the growing level of pollution?
We need efforts from everybody. They should sit together and make a road map and do something about it.

Do we have sufficient health polices regarding air pollution?
We lack health data, which can be linked to air pollution. The studies that have been conducted so far is not sufficient. We have very minimal data. Better systemic data collection is required to examine the entire issue. However, we do have a rough idea based on international studies. We need to have an exact data to sort out the problem.

Do you think industries too can play a role in tackling the issue?
I see them as playing a major role in it, but the government needs to give them enough subsidies.

Which city has the highest pollution level currently?
Earlier, Delhi was said to have the highest pollution level. But now, pollution levels in cities such as Ludhiana and Gwalior have gone up. It may be due to the several industries present there.

What can government do to check pollution?
The Ministry of Environment, Health, and Earth Sciences need to come together to tackle the problem. They should sit together and provide better data bases, and take some decision which would help bringing down the pollution levels. Also, for monitoring purposes, we need data quality and a monitoring station.