Action plan soon to check air pollution

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, NOV. 26. The Chairman of the Task Force for the Control of Air Pollution, and Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Dr. A. Ravindra, has said that an action plan will be implemented to check the alarming level of air pollution in Bangalore.

The newly constituted task force which has a number of senior officials of the Government as members, will hold a seminar on ``An Integrated Approach for Control of Air Pollution'' here on Wednesday to list its recommendations to the Government. The recommendations would form the basis for an action plan which would be implemented by the agencies concerned.

Dr. Ravindra said the quality of ambient air in certain localities in Bangalore was deteriorating, and the basic causes were the inadequate public transport system, poor road conditions, improper maintenance of motor vehicles, plying of vehicles over 15 years old and the use of adulterated fuel. The pollution level in Bangalore could not be ranked in comparison with the metropolitan cities, but the fact was that the level of suspended particles was much higher than what it was about a decade ago.

The task force would evolve short-term and long-term strategies to combat pollution. A host of combined factors were responsible for the increased level of pollution. Phasing out old motor vehicles like what was done in New Delhi could not be done here since the step was taken in the Capital on the directions of the Supreme Court. Of the 32 lakh vehicles registered in the State, nearly 15 lakh were in Bangalore.

The members of the Task Force on Pollution were the commissioners of Police, Transport, and Food and Civil Supplies, the Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, and representatives of the Lorry Owners' Association, the Goods Transporters' Association and the Bus Owners' Federation.

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