Air pollution up by 35% in 6 years
Over the past six years, air pollution in Pimpri Chinchwad has increased by 35.7% according to the environment status report prepared by the civic body.
Air pollution in the city is monitored at six places. The percentage of pollutants has increased due to emissions from public as well as private vehicles, the report states.
Like most years in the past, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has submitted the environment status report much after the July 31 deadline even as it has expressed an ambition to prepare a time-bound programme for environment-friendly development.
The report considers poor rainfall last year and variations in the weather, besides rising vehicular population as main reasons for increased air pollution in the city. On the air pollution in the city, the report also blames the poor rainfall last year and the variations in temperatures, besides public and individual vehicles.
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The civic body has been encouraging motorists to use compressed natural gas (CNG) and provides financial assistance to autorickshaw drivers for installing CNG kits in their vehicles. As of now, 1,221 buses run on CNG in the city. Among 30 crematoriums in the city, three are electric crematoriums while one each is gas and diesel-based.
The report accepts that of the nearly 291 million litres per day (MLD) sewage generated in the city, the civic body treats 242.22 MLD sewage before releasing it into the river.
PCMC has proposed to set up five sewage treatment plants with a total capacity of 70 MLD, lay 135km length of pipeline and change nearly 200km length of the old drainage pipelines under the AMRUT scheme.
Speaking to TOI, additional municipal commissioner Tanaji Shinde said, “Each civic department provides data about the status of environment related to their department which is compiled as the environment status report. There are several suggestions given to improve the environment concerning various subjects like air, water and noise pollution. Each department concerned will make budgetary provision to implement the suggestions.”
