Bangalore, which was once known for its salubrious climate, is getting hotter by the day because of the rise in global and local pollution levels, according to J. Srinivasan, Chairman of the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, and Professor at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Attributing the phenomenon to rise in carbon dioxide level in the city, he said excessive consumption of fossil fuels like petrol and diesel has resulted in carbon emission of 390 ppm (parts per million) in the last two to three years. If remedial measures are not taken, summer seasons in the coming years are going to be cruel.
Delivering the keynote address at the annual conference of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on ‘Environment and sustainability' here on Monday, he noted that the situation was no different in other parts of the country, and the heat wave had started claiming quite a few lives every year. According to him, global warming has had a direct impact on the lives of the people in the developing counties as it has impacted groundwater levels. And, even now if the issue of global warming is not addressed, consequences would be disastrous. Prof. Srinivasan stressed the need to harness rich renewable energy resources.
He spoke on the importance of tapping solar energy and said that in the next decade solar energy would no longer be a costly proposition as it is felt today. “Even today solar energy is competitive compared to diesel power generation”, he said.
‘Water security possible'
The panel of experts opined that Bangalore can become the first city to have water security if rainwater harvesting is implemented and all the lakes are protected. Though India's contribution to global warming is only 5 per cent, steps need to be taken to address water scarcity as the situation is likely to worsen in the coming years.
They also observed that India's growth story should not lead to destruction of natural resources.
Kanwer Pal, Secretary, Department of Ecology and Environment, said that two of the five industrial areas are highly polluted in the State.
