Need to check air pollution with action plan
VEHICULAR POLLUTION CONTRIBUTES ABOUT 75%OF THE AIR POLLUTION LOAD AND THERE ARE WAYS TO TACKLE IT
The poor air quality in Delhi and Lucknow is due to a terrible lapse, affecting the quality of life and health, of one and all. The trend was known and reflected from the information generated by the PCB, CPCB, IITR, Ecomen (in limited way and others).
A report on pollution caused by vehicles at Lucknow was prepared by Ecomen in 1997. Another report on environmental status at Lucknow was prepared in 2013. It also highlighted this aspect.
In a meeting on October 30, 2015, in Club of Lucknow, I had emphasised on air quality pollution’s increasing trend and a few steps to be to be taken to control the situation. We are talking a lot, yet still far away from ascertaining and analysing the sources of air pollution and implementation on remedial plan of action.
The following needs to be done on priority in Lucknow:
1. Environmental carrying capacity study
2. Study for preparation of emission inventory with sources and systematic disposal for air quality control
3. Traffic management study. 4. Vehicular pollution contributes about 75%of the air pollution load. Many reports have suggested remedial measures. Immediate measures as suggested be implemented.
5. Implementation of the decisions taken.
Sources of Air Pollution
• Dust from large area of land with little or no vegetation
• Deforestation
• Increase in concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• Oxygen depletion in the atmosphere
• Combution of fossil fuels: Coal, natural gas and petroleum are organic material. They are called fossil fuels. They generate energy on combustion and cause air pollution, burning of fossil fuels generated smoke, which contains poisonous gases such as corbon monoxide, sulphure dioxide and unburnt black carbon particles.
Coal and oil also contain sulphur as impurity and release SO2 and CO2 when they burn.
• Transportation: Modern transportation consists of cars, trains, taxis, trucks, scooters, buses, lorries and airplanes. CO, NO and NO2 released by internal combustion in engines cause air pollution. Automobile exhaust is responsible for more that 75% of the total air pollution.
• Agricultural activities: pesticides and fertilisers used and a few practices in agriculture cause air pollution, especially, the sprays.
Primary pollutants are particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitriogen oxides, hydrogen fluoride, volatile organic compounds, chol or of luro carbons, ammonia, aldehydesand organic acids Secondary pollutants are formed in the air by the interaction of primary pollutants among themselves or the reaction with normal atmospheric constituents, such as sunlight and water vapour, with or without photo activation. Experimental evidence indicated that exhaust gases from automobiles have particular importance in the formation of secondary pollutants such as smog and ground level ozone.
Smog: Classic smog results from a mixture of smoke and sulphure dioxide but it results from vehicular and industrial emissions. These emissions are acted on in the atmosphere by ultraviolet light from the sun to form secondary pollutants, which also combine with primaryemissions and moisture in environment to form photochemical smog.
In a democracy, one of the most fundamental and important rights citizens have is to voice their opinion about issues affecting their lives. Without the involvement and perspective of many, a democracy fails in its essence.