Mangaluru
A recent Greenpeace India study has found that Mangaluru, along with nine other cities in South India, has pollution levels that are 4-10 times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The study, ‘Spare the Air-2,’ highlights serious health concerns due to elevated levels of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10.
The study covered air quality in Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Mangaluru, Amravati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Puducherry. It revealed that cities such as Mangaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kochi, Amravati, and Chennai have annual PM2.5 levels six to seven times higher than WHO guidelines. Bengaluru, Puducherry, and Mysuru also reported PM10 levels exceeding WHO standards by four to five times.
In Bengaluru, PM2.5 levels are five to six times above WHO’s monthly average, and PM10 levels are 3 to 4.5 times higher than WHO’s annual guidelines. PM10 levels also surpass National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) during several months.
The report recommends updating NAAQ standards to reflect local pollution and climate conditions and calls for investment in a hybrid air quality monitoring network to provide real-time data to the public.
