Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has directed the Chief Secretary to take immediate action to address Bengaluru’s rapidly deteriorating air quality, following an urgent appeal made by MLC Dinesh Gooligowda, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Authority.
Gooligowda had written to the DCM expressing concern that Bengaluru—known as India’s Garden City and Silicon City—is heading toward a Delhi-like pollution crisis if decisive steps are not taken immediately. Responding promptly, DK Shivakumar instructed the Chief Secretary to direct all relevant departments to implement emergency measures and constitute a high-level expert committee.
Dinesh Gooligowda’s Key Concerns Raised in the Letter
Explosive growth of vehicle population:
Bengaluru now has 1,23,24,919 registered motor vehicles, nearly matching the city’s estimated population of 1.47 crore—effectively one vehicle per citizen.
Daily vehicle additions:
An average of 2,563 new vehicles are registered every day, including over 84 lakh two-wheelers, placing enormous pressure on air quality and road infrastructure.
Worsening air quality:
The city currently records an Air Quality Index (AQI) between 50 and 70, falling under the ‘moderate’ category. However, experts warn that Bengaluru could enter the ‘severe pollution’ zone within 5–10 years without strong intervention.
Growing public health threat:
Children and senior citizens are increasingly experiencing respiratory issues, asthma, allergies, and cardiovascular complications linked to pollution exposure.
Demand for a High-Level Expert Committee
Gooligowda urged the government to form a multidisciplinary committee comprising:
• Environmental scientists
• Traffic and mobility experts
• Public health specialists
• Senior officials from key government departments
The committee’s mandate would include:
• Assessing pollution projections for the next decade
• Recommending immediate and long-term pollution mitigation strategies
• Strengthening vehicle emission regulations and enforcement
• Developing policies to manage vehicle registrations and traffic density
• Creating a Comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region
Acting on these recommendations, DCM DK Shivakumar has instructed officials to begin working on an expert-driven framework to protect Bengaluru’s air quality and prevent the city from slipping into a deepening pollution crisis.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ದೆಹಲಿಯಂತಾಗಬಾರದು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು: ವಾಯು ಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ತಡೆಗೆ ಡಿಕೆಶಿಯವರಿಂದ ತಕ್ಷಣದ ಸೂಚನೆ, ತಜ್ಙರ ಸಮಿತಿ ರಚನೆ
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