Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a direct cause of human-induced climate change.
India
accounted for 2.9 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019. The transportation sector accounts for
roughly 10% or 290 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. Road transport, mainly comprising
heavy vehicles (buses and trucks) and to some extent personal vehicles (two wheelers [2Ws] and four
wheelers [4Ws]), is the leading contributor to these emissions. Based on the latest trends, a recent
study by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) reported that vehicle
electrification is the most practical approach to curb vehicular GHG emissions, with the added
benefit of significantly inhibiting sources of urban pollution including particulate matter (PM),
nitrogen oxides (NOx), and black carbon (BC).
In the current study, the on-road vehicle stock in Bengaluru was obtained by accounting for all
vehicles registered in the last 20 years (2001–2021) and those that were retired (due to wear and
tear, accident, or total loss) during this period. Further, the vehicle population was projected into the
horizon year (2030) by extending the past growth trends in each vehicle class. These projections
showed that the on-road vehicle stock grows 1.5 times (from 5.7M vehicles to 8.9M vehicles), at an
overall growth rate of 5%.
The number of vehicles in Bengaluru will increase by 1.5 times in 2030, but the addition of 2.3M
electric vehicles will prevent approximately 3.3M tonnes of CO2 emissions.
This vast EV fleet is estimated to require more than 6 million units of electricity to recharge daily.
Since majority of the electricity in Bengaluru is sourced from non-renewable sources, for a
completely green transition, more than 1.3 GW of rooftop solar would be needed for sustainable EV
charging.
Overall, there is significant potential for the city of Bengaluru to move towards sustainable mobility
solutions.
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The Bangalore city is located at approximately 12.97° N latitude and 77.57° E longitude. The city
covers an area of 741 km2 (Sowmya et al., 2021) as shown in Fig. 1. Bangalore, the capital city of
Karnataka, having approximately 8.4 million population witnessing rapid urbanization. It is often
referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ due to its significant contributions to the
country's Information Technology industry. The city's average elevation of 900 m above sea level
indeed contributes to its relatively moderate climate compared to many other cities in India. As a
fast-growing city and an important economic centre, Bangalore often faces various challenges,
including urban development, infrastructure needs, and managing environmental issues like air
pollution. However, like any urban center, the city faces challenges related to air pollution, especially
during periods of increased vehicular traffic and industrial activities. The exponential growth in the
number of vehicles is a major contributor to air pollution in Bangalore. The vehicular emissions,
including from both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, account for almost 50% of the pollution in the
city. The increasing traffic congestion and the use of older vehicles without adequate emission
controls exacerbate the problem. The Bangalore's rapid urbanization and development lead to
extensive construction activities, which contribute to particulate matter (PM), aerosols and dust
emissions. The construction dust contains various pollutants that are released into the air during
building and infrastructure development (Mangaraj et al., 2022; Mukherjee and Agrawal, 2017). The
increased reliance on diesel generator sets for power generation, particularly during power outages
or in areas with unreliable electricity supply, releases pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen
oxides into the air. The combination of these pollution sources poses significant health and
environmental risks to Bangalore's residents. The monitoring and managing air quality in such rapidly
developing urban centres become crucial to ensuring the well-being of the population and
sustainable growth.
3. Data and methodology
3.1. Monitoring stations
The national ambient air quality monitoring programme (NAMP) has initiated air quality monitoring
in Bangalore city. This program is implemented by the central pollution control board (CPCB) in
collaboration with state pollution control boards, including the Karnataka state pollution control
board (KSPCB). The NAMP aims to systematically assess the quality of ambient air in various cities
and regions across India. The program establishes a network of fixed air quality monitoring stations
equipped with sophisticated instruments to measure various air pollutants. These stations are
strategically located to capture the representative air quality data of different areas within a city. In
the case of Bangalore, the KSPCB is responsible for managing and operating the air quality
monitoring stations. There are fixed monitoring locations in Bangalore (ST1-ST8) where air quality
data is recorded as details are mentioned in Table 1 (CPCB, 2020). The established network of
monitoring stations is essential for understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of air pollution in
Bangalore.
The monitoring stations likely measure key air pollutants. The first step is to collect data from the
existing monitoring stations, which typically measure concentrations of pollutants like PM2.5, PM10,
NO2, SO2, O3and CO. These stations are usually strategically placed in different areas of the city. The
monitoring protocol described for air pollutants in Bangalore involves regular and systematic data
collection to assess air quality. The monitoring is conducted for continuous 24-h period, with
different sampling frequencies for gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. The monitoring of air
pollutants is carried out twice a week. This regularity allows for a consistent and frequent
assessment of air quality conditions in the city. The 4-hourly sampling for gaseous pollutants and 8-
hourly sampling for PM enable the observation of short-term fluctuations in pollutant levels,
capturing variations during different times of the day. In India, the CPCB is the apex regulatory body
responsible for coordinating and overseeing the air quality monitoring network and pollution control
measures across the country. The CPCB's standards and guidelines serve as a framework for the state
pollution control boards (SPCB's) in different states to implement air quality management measures
at the regional level. All SPCB's work closely with the CPCB to ensure uniformity in air quality
monitoring and pollution control practices throughout the country. The KSPCB plays a crucial role in
assessing and managing air pollution in Bangalore and other areas of the state. The availability of
such well-equipped facilities ensures accurate and reliable data, which is vital for effective air quality
management. The data collected from these monitoring stations are crucial for assessing the air
quality status in the city, identifying pollution hotspots, and formulating appropriate air quality
management strategies. The quality controlled and reliable data also contribute to compliance
monitoring with national air quality standards and guidelines. Recently few works are also addressed
the impact of COVID-19 enabled lockdown on the air quality and pollution status in India using the
reliable CPCB data (Gautam et al., 2021; Gouda et al. (2022); Sekar et al. (2023).
Conclusion
The outcomes of this study may provide inputs for urban planning, public health, and environmental
policy. The findings can inform targeted interventions to curb pollution hotspots, guide decision-
makers in formulating sustainable practices, and underscore the benefits of reduced human activities
for air quality improvement at higher resolution in a city scale. As the world struggles with both the
challenges of urbanization and the unusual situation like pandemic, this research contributes
valuable insights into the complex nexus between human activities, environmental health, and urban
development which can be a better guidance for a sustainable framework. These results advocate on
how the strictly minimization of vehicular as well as industrial pollution can improve the air quality. It
is also suggested that the government should implement such restrictions for a better air quality over
a city resulting a sustained and healthy environment for the ecosystem.
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