Hazy Sky that Swaddled the City

Pune Pollution

Hazy Sky that Swaddled the City

By- Rizwan Ali , Akanksha Javadekar , Ishan Deshmukh

Pollution, a global challenge, that affects every single person into the ecosystem. In Pune, Maharashtra, the city grapples with a persistent air quality issue. Despite having good air quality in 2020, recent measurements indicate a decline, with pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, CO, ozone, and NO2 causing the air quality index to consistently worsen. It’s also shocking because Punekar did not witness this worsen air quality phenomenon in at least last decade yet right now people are facing the worst quality of the air. It was common in north India where maximum famers grow rice and wheat and after harvesting they burn the leftover stubbles which causes huge amount of pollution. 

Causes for Pollution:

To pinpoint the root causes of air pollution in Pune, two main categories emerge: outdoor and indoor pollution. Vehicular emissions, industrial discharges, construction activities, and open burning contribute significantly to outdoor pollution. Simultaneously, indoor air pollution poses a considerable threat, driven by the use of biomass fuel for cooking and heating. Smoking inside a house creates a harmful particulate matter. These factors collectively contribute to a rise in respiratory diseases, allergies, and other health problems among the city’s residents. A comprehensive approach is imperative to address both outdoor and indoor sources to mitigate the escalating air quality challenges in Pune.

Air Pollution:

Pune has a long history that dates back to the 8th century, and it has long been a hub for education, culture, and business. However, the city has been dealing with air pollution for some time. According to a joint report by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), and expert advice from Sarojkumar Sahu of Utkal University, Pune’s air quality, which is primarily regulated by particulate pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10), has increased significantly over the last seven years. Vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, construction activities, and open stubble burning are the primary sources of air pollution in Pune. Still in Pune the cases of stubble burning is very much less as compare to the north Indian state.

 Air Pollution (Chandani Chowk, Pune)

Water Pollution:

Let’s explore the causes behind water contamination in Pune, including untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and improper waste disposal, leading to the degradation of water bodies and affecting both aquatic life and human health. Illegal residential and commercial constructions are worsening the situation. Water is the most basic necessity of any living organism on the face of the earth yet many people living in the city do not have access to clean water. Their children are getting sick by drinking this contaminated water.

Mula-Mutha River

Mula-Mutha River

Noise Pollution:

Shed light on the sources of noise pollution, such as vehicular traffic, construction, and commercial activities, impacting resident’s well-being and quality of life. Pune is the lone city which has more vehicle than the people living in the city. Various religious gatherings uses loud speaker beyond the decibels set by the government. Noise pollution is most underrated kind of pollution as far as over all climate degradation is concerned. We do not see any dogs in the vicinity while diwali because the loudness of the firecracker burst the eardrum of the dogs. Its animal cruelty and we are witnessing it right now.

These operations emit toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, which cause respiratory disorders, heart disease, and other health concerns. There are two forms of air pollution in Pune: primary and secondary. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide are examples of primary pollutants that are directly discharged into the atmosphere. Secondary pollutants are those created in the atmosphere as a result of chemical reactions between main pollutants and other substances like ozone and particulate matter.

Sambhaji Bridge, Pune

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched a number of efforts to combat air pollution in the city. It has expanded its System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) envisages a research based management system where strategies of air pollution mitigation go hand in hand with nation’s economic development to target a win-win scenario. Under the plan scheme “Metropolitan Advisories for Cities for Sports, Tourism (Metropolitan Air Quality and Weather Services), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Govt. of India, has introduced a major national initiative, “System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research” known as “SAFAR” for greater metropolitan cities of India to provide location specific information on air quality in near real time and its forecast 1-3 days in advance for the first time in India. It has been combined with the early warning system on weather parameters. The SAFAR system is developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, along with ESSO partner institutions namely India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).

 The implementation of SAFAR is made possible with an active collaboration with local municipal corporations and various local educational institutions and governmental agencies in that Metro city. The ultimate objective of the project is to increase awareness among general public regarding the air quality in their city well in advance so that appropriate mitigation measures and systematic action can be taken up for betterment of air quality and related health issues. It engineers awareness drive by educating public, prompting self-mitigation and also to help develop mitigation strategies for policy makers. PMC has also agreed to collaborate with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Indian Institute of Public Health – Gandhinagar (IIPH-G), and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) on the development and implementation of an air quality management system and a cool roofs program for climate resilience. 2. In partnership with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), the PMC is also building an air pollution forecast model. The PMC hopes that by launching these programs, it can better prepare for air pollution-related health emergencies and seek to improve the city’s air quality.

Media Coverage:

In journalism there is a specific category in which a journalism student studies the environment try to find and news values in issues like pollution. In India it is hard to see such in detail report on any issue which is concern to the climate and pollution. Only few regional news outlets cover the issues like industrial waste is getting dumped in a clean water lake and some illegal construction is on its way by cutting the old forests. The problem arises when mainstream media avoids this kind of issues. When last time we have seen that our media hold a specific environment related issue in their hand and continuously followed it until government itself intervened. Only few cases we know like Aarey forests and Joshimath incident. Right now people of Joshimath leave their village abandoned their houses and helplessly striving to find a place to live.

Environment related issues needs special attention from the people of the land. The movement of some farmers and normal villagers shaken the most powerful people of the time. Chipko movement was started by Sunderlal Bahuguna in the Garhwal forests. The movement was aimed at stopping the cutting of trees for commercial purposes. The entire movement was non violent and the villagers just hugged trees to stop them from being felled. The people much aware about the importance of the trees back then in 1970’s.  

To form this kind of a movement people need strong will and basic literacy of the issue. Commercialization at the cost of the environment is not at all a good deal. We need to keep our air clean our weather sanitized our future survivable. Our forefathers without any academic knowledge use to protect the trees the nature, in some places people pray to a trees and various natural things to show their respect towards the nature and right now our generation is witnessing a brutality to a nature in exchange of some monetary benefits.

The way out:

How people who are residing in a city can contribute from their side to restricts the pollution from spread. This is our place our generations lived here and upcoming generations also hoping for the best atmosphere for them to live healthy and happy life. For that as an individual people of the country must know about their social responsibility and execute it without any hesitation. How a simple change in our lifestyle can bring a big change towards healthy atmosphere and clean climate.

Maximum use of public transport can be a pivotal step towards clean air because the contribution of the vehicle pollution is significant in over all pollution. Vehicle pollution brings air pollution as well as noise pollution that have two negative impacts on the society. Public transport is good for finance of the individual as well as the government of the land. The long queue of traffic can be avoided and while travelling the commuters can read something or utilize that time in something worth than driving your own car in heavy traffic going office or college in a bad mood and coming back home tired and stressed. Public transport has multiple benefits. These small initiatives of the individual can bring a pivotal change in the society.

There are much more things that individual can do to prevent pollution to happen. Segregation of waste to avoiding firecrackers to restricts stubble burning, there are plenty of things individual can do and these steps make governments job easier in keeping our air and water clean. Various local authorities, NGOs, and community groups works in a field of combating pollution in Pune. These multiple initiatives include tree plantation drives, waste management programs; awareness campaigns will most be most beneficial in keeping city clean.

Sustainable Development: 

Sustainable development deals with the growth and development without degrading climate and destroying natural resources. This is the most efficient and powerful weapon we have to deal with the climate safety and environment sanitation. United Nations one important initiative of Sustainable Development Goals started in 2015, which deals with the universal call to eliminate multiple things like poverty, hunger, excess amount of releasing harmful gases into atmosphere and promote health, education, gender equality, access to clean water. United nation has given 17 sustainable development goals to eliminate poverty without degrading atmosphere.

Sustainable developmental goals are the evidence to believe that the target of the growth can be achieved without polluting atmosphere and without releasing hazardous gases into atmosphere.  There is 18th development goal also that deals with the proper execution of the rest of the 17 sustainable development goals. Out of these 17 sustainable development goals at least 8 goals deal with the climate change regarding issues. In Pune city we are witnessing huge amount of migration for education to job to business people preferring Pune over other Maharashtra cities because of its budget friendly livelihood. To cater all these people Pune city is preparing itself. We are witnessing huge amount of construction going around the city and huge amount of traffic on the roads. But cost of living in Pune city is very much low compare to some other metro cities like Mumbai and Bangalore.

Pune has some benefits if consider the north India and climate problem over there of stubble burning, one of the crucial and significant contributor in pollution, in Hindi belt region of India. The cropping pattern in Pune is different from north India it does not require stubble burning. The north Indian region specifically Punjab and Haryana are the biggest producer of wheat and rice and both of these crops requires stubble burning. That is why the cases of pollution in north India is different from Pune.

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