Kochi's air pollution levels steadily increasing: Data

Kochi: The State of Global Air Report 2022 released earlier this month points to the rising air pollution levels in Indian cities, especially Delhi, Mumbai and Benguluru. Even while cities in Kerala, especially Kochi which tops in air pollution levels in the state, don't come anywhere in the national highs, Ernakulam district's pollution levels are steadily increasing, especially the PM 2.5 in 10 years before Covid pandemic, according to data of the state pollution control board's air ambient monitoring systems.

The district has the largest number of monitoring stations in the state and a look at the data shows that PM 2.5 has increased or remained on the higher side despite the changing weather with heavy rainfall and strong winds.

"The rise in pollution is an indicator of developmental activity. Since Kochi is a growing city, the number of vehicles would have gone up as would the ageing of the older fleet. Apart from personal vehicles, there must be a rise in the number of goods and freight traffic," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Delhi.

Construction and demolition waste during infrastructure development is yet another cause for rise in pollution.

While the highest levels of pollution were recorded in the years 2012-2014 when construction of Metro as well as roads and bridges were going on, experts say there are unaccounted parameters that need to be checked into. "When vehicles brake suddenly or at traffic junction, the tyres are emitting fine dust. While there's a study on this aspect in Delhi pollution, it has not been investigated elsewhere in the country," said Satheesh Kumar M K, professor at Manipal Institute of Higher Education.

"Even though we have been having heavy rainfall and strong winds, climate change and abrupt changes in temperatures do play a role in pollution," said V Sivanandan Achari, dean, school of environmental sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology.

While Covid pandemic has increased cases of respiratory health problems among Kochiites, doctors said asthmatic and those with history of respiratory problems come with acute problems and probing the causes often indicate a pollution element in their neighbourhood. "The masks have been helpful to some extent and we have been strongly advising people with this history to use it when they step out," said a senior physician.