In the wake of the increasing pollution levels in the City, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, has written to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), seeking details of pollution levels and measures taken to contain it.
The letter, dated January 22, was received by KSPCB on January 25. The letter has been sent in compliance with the National Green Tribunal order dated January 6.
The letter, a copy of which is with Deccan Herald, states that the situation in major cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Patna, Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar is being looked into and the governments of Gujarat, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Jharkhand have been asked to file a comprehensive affidavit, stating steps taken for prevention and control of air pollution.
Dust emissions
Ambient air quality samples must be taken and analysis reports have to be submitted before the tribunal. They shall also state the steps they are taking for controlling and preventing air pollution resulting from dust emissions because of construction and other activities, emission from burning of municipal solid waste and other waste, including burning of agricultural residue, and vehicular pollution.
The pollution control board of the respective state, in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board, shall prepare a report and analyse the ambient air quality samples forthwith in the cities concerned, the letter states.
The ministry has also sought the compilation of the analysis of ambient air quality data along with meteorological parameters (temperature, wind speed, wind direction and mixing height) of last five years (2011-15) pertaining to these cities.
It has also sought a comprehensive report with five years’ raw data (including data of past four months September-December 2015) to the Central Pollution Control Board by January 28.
The state boards have to submit the proposed action plan for the respective cities for the next five years to mitigate air pollution.
KSPCB member secretary S Shanthappa told Deccan Herald that they have received the letter and the work on collecting, compiling and analysing data has already started. It will be sent to the ministry within the stipulated time.