The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has cautioned vehicle emission testing centres not to issue ‘pollution under control’ (PuC) certificates to vehicles that emit smoke in excess of prescribed limits.
Speaking at a programme to mark Anti-Pollution Awareness Month organised at the regional transport office here recently, Jayaprakash Nayak, KSPCB senior scientific officer, Mangaluru, said buses, trucks and autorickshaws emitting smoke in excess of prescribed limits were the main reason for increasing levels of air pollution.
Emission test centres must be more prudent in their approach towards such vehicles and restrict issuing emission test certificates to polluting vehicles if they do not pass the test, he said.
Asserting the importance of each tree in the lifespan of a human being, he said each person needs three cylinders of oxygen every day while a single cylinder of oxygen costs about ₹2,500.
“After doing the maths, it is concluded that a person would need a minimum of ₹7.5 crore worth oxygen in entire lifetime while a single tree can cater to the oxygen needs of hundreds of people.”
On the occasion, Anti-Pollution Drive Foundation, an NGO working for environment protection, released a paper on the impact of air pollution on the health of outdoor workers based on a study conducted in Mangaluru.
The paper was based on the results of a series of Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) conducted under APD’s ‘ShuddhaGaali’ project.
Commenting on the results of the PFT, APD Chief Abdullah A. Rehman said: “Smoke emitting vehicles are a nuisance to society, public health and the economic profile of cities. Stringent action must be taken by the government to monitor emissions and tighten the norms thereby ensuring strict adherence to emission laws.”
