Bengaluru: Once known as the garden city, Bengaluru has now become the pollution capital of the country.
The city's development has come at a cost with pollution levels rising and residents resigning themselves to living with the accompanying din. This week, the #whatsyourissue campaign looked at pollution in its many forms: the increase in noise due to nightclubs in residential areas, the smoke from diesel generators running continuously, dust on the road and the major contributor to air pollution — vehicles.
The explosion of vehicles on Bengaluru's roads has been a major contributor to air and noise pollution. In March 2015, 55 lakh vehicles were registered in the city. The number rose to 61 lakh by March 2016. Officials have suggested continuous checks to catch those without pollution certificates.
A study by The Energy Research Institute recently found that road dust and the construction sector contributed more than a third of the particulate matter pollution in the city. Stretches like the 59-km Outer Ring Road and Hennur Main Road were identified as trouble spots. Another source of dust was the indiscriminate digging of borewells.
While the extended deadline for nightlife brought cheer to many, it meant sleepless nights and constant headaches from the accompanying noise for residents living close to restaurants and pubs. And while complaints against pollution get heard, the wait for action can be long.
Residents of MSR City in Thanisandra, who complained against diesel generator sets being run 24x7 in the adjacent Manyata Tech Park, have been waiting for respite ever since the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board issued a show-cause notice to the offending party.
