Pune : Policenama online – The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), with the help of central government, will address air pollution in the city. The civic body will take various measures, including cleaning dust from roads, building fountains in chowks, to reduce dust in the air.
The Centre will provide Rs 100 crore every year, i.e. Rs 400 crore in the coming years to buy sweeping machines and build fountains.
Pune is included in the National Clean Air Programme of the central government. Generally, air is relatively clean during the rainy season in Pune. However, the amount of dust particles in the air increases with decreasing temperatures in winter. Thus, the air quality worsens. The PMC plans to decrease dust particles in the city air. City roads need to be cleaned properly. Sweeping machines will be purchased for this purpose. This will reduce dust particles in the air.
During the rainy season, dust settles on the ground and the air quality improves. The central government has suggested that building fountains at city chowks could also help in this regard. The civic administration is planning to build fountains at 140 chowks in the city. Care will be taken to build these fountains without obstructing traffic.
If the civic body succeeds in this programme, the Centre may provide more funds for the purpose.
Pune among most polluted cities in India
Pune’s air quality has deteriorated due to urbanisation, vehicular pollution, rampant constructions and expanding industry. Pune is among the top-ten cities in the country, where suspended particulate matter measuring PM 10 and 2.5 is found to be highest in the country. The air quality in the city is divided in three grades, including satisfactory, medium and bad. It becomes bad during winter. Hence, respiratory tract diseases increase during December and January.
Sprinkler tankers for cleaning roads, foothpaths
The PMC decided some months ago to reduce the dust pollution by cleaning main roads with water sprinklers and blowers. An NGT bench issued a directive in this regard while hearing a petition. The civic body even floated tenders to buy sprinkler tankers for this. They will sprinkle water on certain days in the week on footpaths, decorative plants and roads.
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