Ashish Ranjan
In yet another investigation, the air quality in Bengaluru was found to have deteriorated between 2021 and 2022. According to IQAir’s 2022 World Air Quality Report, the air quality in Bengaluru deteriorated by more than 8% in 2022.
In 2022, PM2.5 levels in Bengaluru were 31.5 g/m3, 8.6 percent higher than the 29 g/m3 measured in 2021. November was the month with the highest PM2.5 levels in the city, at 45.8 g/m3. From September to October, the PM2.5 levels in the city increased from 18.1 g/m3 to 36.9 g/m3, according to the report. After the winter effect and Deepawali celebrations, the air quality in the city began to deteriorate at this time.
From June to August, the air quality in Bengaluru was at its finest, with PM2.5 levels between 14 and 15 g/m3. During the first four and final three months of 2022, the city experienced highs between 37 and 46.
This follows a similar research conducted by the Centre for Science and the Environment (CSE), which analysed winter air pollution trends in five major Indian cities, including Bengaluru. According to the report, Bengaluru experienced the most rapid increase in PM2.5 levels and the worst winter pollution climax in the past four years.
The civic body of Bengaluru, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), allocated 450 crore in this year’s budget to regulate the city’s high AQI levels.
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The BBMP has considered instituting new anti-pollution measures, including the construction of parks beneath flyovers and tech corridors. In addition to constructing fountains at 75 major intersections in Bengaluru, the municipal agency will transform the city into a green zone with shuttle service around metro stations, promotion of electric vehicles, and similar services.
However, the IT capital did not appear on the list of the world’s 50 most polluted cities; 70% of the listed cities were in India, and India was designated the eighth most polluted nation.
