Channappa Gowda inaugurates air pollution control month

N.S. Channappa Gowda (third from left), Deputy Commissioner, releasing a book‘Controlling Air Pollution and Sound Pollution’ in Mangalore on Tuesday. Photo: H.S. Manjunath

Every person should be responsible for environment protection, said N. S. Channappa Gowda, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada district.

He was inaugurating the air pollution control month function organised jointly by the Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Office and other regional transport offices, here on Tuesday.

Population explosion

Mr. Gowda said that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2.4 million people in the world had been dying because of air pollution. Besides, the temperature in some places had risen. Because of population explosion, the number of vehicles had been growing rapidly which increased pollution.

The Deputy Commissioner said the issue of drainage was the main cause for water pollution. Although plastic bags had been banned, not much change had taken place. People's habits should change. Eco-friendly bicycles should be used, he said.

Mr. Gowda read out a pledge in the context of awareness of pollution control. He released a book

Controlling Air Pollution and Sound Pollution .

Saplings were planted.

Schoolchildren

Presiding over the programme, John Edward D'Silva, professor, St Aloysius College, said people aged below 18 should not use motorcycles. They should use school buses, private transport, and preferably walk, which is good for health. The district authorities should implement the suggestions, he said. C. Mallikarjun, Regional Transport Officer, said that schoolchildren should be made aware of air pollution by addressing the issue at the school level. B. Manu, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department, the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NITK), spoke.

Raj Varma Ballal, Bus Owners Association president, was the chief guest.