Bangalore has the beauty that every resident prides itself with; lush greenery and gardens. Taking a morning walk or an evening stroll can really be transformative had the increasing rate of pollution, not made it increasingly difficult. Across every index of Air Pollution, Bangalore’s range is pretty high considering our Garden City is also the IT hub of the country. As teeming populations flock here to make their career, nature suffers every single day. Now, with the nation-wide lockdown, there are some changes that we may not have been noticing.
What’s In It?
According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board member secretary Basavaraj Patil, there has been a 60 to 65 per cent pollution reduction during the lockdown. As the government machinery daily ensures that fewer people are travelling and maintaining the lockdown by staying indoors, the air quality in Bangalore has improved to ‘good’ ratings. He further added that the air quality is “between 0 to 50 AQI (Air Quality Index) now.” This means that the air in Bangalore is of good quality.
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What’s More?
Some of the city’s highest polluted areas were the city railway station and Peenya Industrial area, have also witnessed a reduction in pollution levels. Constant constructions around major areas also contribute to air pollution and they have been stopped. Mr. Patil has urged people to learn this lesson and opt for sustainable sources of commuting that include public transportation, cycling or walking. He has also mentioned that this good quality of air will further boost the immunity of people suffering from breathing difficulties like asthma. Bangalore Is The World’s Most Traffic Congested City As Per Annual Traffic Index yet due to the coronavirus lockdown there has been a significant improvement in air quality.
Even in the national capital Delhi, which is known for some of the worst polluted air quality has witnessed the AQI rating to oscillate between ‘’good’ and ‘satisfactory’ categories. Experts have attributed this improvement to the reduction in local sources of pollution which means vehicle emissions, construction dust, etc. But thanks to the lockdown, nature is getting time to recharge itself.