Sharp rise in air pollution; MPCB says checks needed

Anil Mohekar,regional officer,MPCB,Pune,said as per their annual report of April 2011-March 2012,levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) has gone up to 71.5 microgram per metre cube (µg/m3) when the permissible limit is 60. RSPM levels have shot up by 20 points when the permissible level is 100 µg/m3,whereas sulphur dioxide levels are 11.5 µg/m3. These figures were obtained by the air monitoring station set up by MPCB at Kothrud. Manual reading taken at Nal Stop every eight hours also shows the RSPM level at Urali Devachi,where the PMC’s garbage depot is located,is as high as 168 µg/m3.

Nitin Shinde,sub-regional officer,MPCB,Pune,said 351 samples from residential and commercial areas in Kothrud were assessed at the board’s air quality monitoring station. RSPM and NOx levels have risen above permissible levels since last year. Deterioration of air quality results into a corresponding increase in health problems,eventually making the monitoring of air quality a necessity,he added.

Efforts by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology are underway in this direction. According to scientist Dr Gufran Beig,in the last two months,Particulate Matter (PM-10) levels have gone up to 150 µg/m3 when the permissible limit is 100. “The level was measured at Pashan,which is a semi-urban zone. So,one can imagine the levels in the rest of the city,” said Beig.

Among others,MPCB officials say,the cause for this rise in pollution is not only the increasing number of vehicles,but also the industrial units that are now part of the city after the extension of her geographical boundaries. These industrial units need to keep pollution under check,officials say. Among the units in the ‘Red’ zone contributing to industrial,air and water pollution are 95 large,41 medium and 318 small scale plants in Pune Zone 1,which includes the city and talukas like Indapur,Baramati,Jejuri,Daund,Purandar and Velha.

However,on a positive note,11 large,12 medium and 889 small scale industrial units are in the ‘Green’ zone and do not contribute to pollution.

Uday Patil,environment officer at Bharat Forge said they are in the process of setting up air quality monitoring stations at their units in Mundhwa and Baramati. MPCB has also directed Avanta Power at Bhugaon and Kalyani Carpenter to set up similar stations to assess air quality. Meanwhile,around 75 industrial units have been directed to treat effluents before discharging them into the water and five have already been slapped with fines,Shinde said.

Meanwhile,Regional Transport Officer,Pune region,Arun Yeola,said measures are in place to make green fuel compulsory. “Over 40 per cent of autorickshaws in the city already run on CNG. Every autorickshaw driver who swtiches to green fuel is given Rs 1,200 by the Pune Municipal Corporation. For private vehicles (both two- and four-wheelers),the central government has made it mandatory that in cities like Pune,Solapur and Mumbai,only those vehicles that comply with Bharat IV norms are registered.”