‘Lockdown lessons can help govt’

Roychowdhury.

Balakrishnan said that the while the coronavirus disease pandemic caught the world unawares, low-grade epidemics have been hitting different parts of India for a long time; air pollution may not kill people immediately, but it makes people more vulnerable to health hazards through prolonged exposure.

“Acting to control air pollution is extremely important mainly because of its health impact. The Covid-19 pandemic showed us that it is possible to achieve public transport efficiency by reducing the number of commuters, who don’t need to come to work to earn their livelihood,” said Balakrishnan.

She added: “Even if they are not using public transport for the fear of infection, and were using their private vehicles, but for three or four days a week, this will pave way for a major reduction in emissions. This experiment, which proved successful during Covid-19, is a game-changer because under normal circumstances, we would have never been able to convince policymakers and the general public that work, education and health-care are all possible with reduced transportation footprints.” She said that an important step towards tackling air pollution is to first demystify the difference between emergency actions and a long-term, comprehensive plan.

Experts also stressed the need to spread awareness that pollution is not just an urban problem.

In a session on electric vehicles (EVS), Anand Kulkarni, director of the EV unit at Tata Motors, said electric cars can be a game-changer as the automobile industry is struggling to reduce tailpipe emissions.