Bangalore may soon be 3rd most polluted city in India

The city is now competing with Chennai for third position in the list of most-polluted cities in India, with immense contribution from Government vehicles. Calcutta and Mumbai top the list.

Air pollution in Hubli, Belgaum and Gulbarga was increasing and within the next few years, air quality in these cities will be no better than Bangalore.

According to sources in the Pollution Control Board, Government vehicles, including Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Regional Transport Office (RTO) and Police Department vehicles contribute to 15 per cent to the total air pollution.

Lack of proper maintenance of Government vehicles, is polluting the environment. Use of old vehicles by these departments is another reason for pollution.

Several letters were written to BMTC and KSRTC to improve the condition of vehicles and check emission levels. But, these departments have done nothing.

Government departments lack the co-ordination needed to check vehicular pollution. Officials in the State Pollution Control Board said, Transport Department which have the power to enforce laws to check pollution is not paying much heed to pollution levels.

The Board, which has the responsibility of checking pollution does not have the power to stop a vehicle and book a case against it. It has to take the assistance of the Transport and Police Department for the same.

The Transport and Police Department are not showing interest in the drive against vehicular pollution. The Transport Department is responsible for failure of `Parisara Vahini’, a drive to check vehicular pollution. The Transport and Police Department diluted the programme six months after it started, sources said.

Beside lack of maintenance, use of adulterated fuel is another reason for the increase in air pollution. If the police were able to stop the sale of adulterated fuel, it would considerably decrease air pollution. Sale of adulterated fuel has been rampant in the city for years, but the police are unable to do a thing.

State Pollution Control Board Chairman B Shivalingaiah said there was no coordination between transport, police departments and the Board.

The Transport and Police Departments were not focussed on the drive against pollution, he said.

The Board requested the State to confer more powers on it, so that it could independently take action against violation of laws relating to pollution control. The Board asked the Government to ban the entry of vehicles more than 15 years old from city roads, Shivalingaiah said.

However, the Regional Transport Office brushed aside the claims of the Pollution Board.

A senior officer in the RTO, Bangalore, said that they maintained proper coordination with the Board and were taking stern action against polluting vehicles.