Less pollution is a byproduct of lockdown

Air quality improves as people work from home, schools and colleges closed

The partial lockdown of the city as mitigation measure against Covid-19 has resulted in clean air. With schools, malls closed and employees being asked to work from home, the density of traffic in the last 10 days in the bustling areas like Silk Board, BTM and city railway station, which often register a surge in the Air Quality Index (AQI) have registered ‘satisfactory’ air quality. The real time monitoring by the Central Pollution Control Board shows the downward spiraling of the AQI.

The AQI of Silk Board went from 111 on March 8 to 90 on March 20. Silk Board is notorious for long traffic snarls.

Out of the 10 air monitoring stations by the CPCB, the city railway station is the only one that is in the moderate range of 148.

The BTM layout that houses maximum number of paying guest accommodations witness huge traffic snarls due to on-going metro construction huge number of vehicles plying in the area recorded the AQI at 54 on March 20.

A scientific officer at the KSCPB said, “Transportation is a major contributor to bad air quality. More than 40% of the air pollution is due to this sector in Bangalore. With a partial lockdown the natural ramification was clean air as the roads are empty and major construction projects by the government are also kept on halt.”

The AQI between 0-50 is termed satisfactory and it will have minimal impact on health, 51-100 is deemed satisfactory that may cause minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people, 101-200 is moderate and the health implication could lead to breathing discomfort to the people with lungs, asthma and heart diseases, 201-300 is poor causing breathing discomfort to people with prolonged illness, 301-400 is very poor and may result in respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, and 401-500 is severe that may affect healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases

Also, of the 202 people, who are being quarantined in Mysuru city, 39 persons persons are foreign nationals. Interestingly, the rest 162 persons are one who have returned from foreign destinations.

Mysuru, along with foreign tourists, receives a large number of foreigners coming to learn Yoga.

The 39 include the tourists as well as those who came to learn Yoga in Mysuru, according to district administration. The report of two suspected

Covid-19 cases, the results have come negative. Among them, 26 persons have completed 14 days quarantine period and 13 are continued to be quarantined.

Mysuru DC Abhiram G Shankar who happens to be the chairperson of Mysuru Palace Board, has passed an order to continue the closure of Mysuru Palace till 31 of this month. Mysuru Palace has been closed from March

15. Mysuru Palace receives an average of over 65,000 foreigners a year.