Published in Dwarka Express on 12.11.22

Anyone who wants to settle down in a clean and cool environment, opts Bengaluru as his destination. But what he experiences today is not the same, compared to 50 years before! Yes, Bengaluru was once a paradise in South and talk to any octogenarian, he will lament about the bygone era when he was a youth. Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, Majestic Circle, Malleswaram, MG Road or Ulsoor – name it, many will go nostalgic about the clean and green boulevards. Even today, one may relish the reminiscences hither and thither, which is now more of a ‘garbage’ city than a ‘garden’ city. A drive from Hebbal to Majestic (10 KMs) may take a minimum of one hour. Why so? Ever-increasing vehicular jams, will make you feel, will it be better to walk the distance rather than idling out behind the wheel? Air Pollution has peaked out though not to that level as that of Delhi. ‘Bangalore AQI is 103.. Not too encouraging…’ bewailed one office-goer, though the AQI level is nowhere nearer to what is prevalent in Delhi, now. But looking at the developments, like faster urbanisation, vanishing green cover and raising pollutants, one feels whether Bengaluru is inching towards the same situation as that of Delhi. In Delhi, the terrain is low-lying in Gangetic plains and the pollutants like PM 2.5 and PM 10 gets settled down and as the mercury dips low, in the winter, these particles moving from nearby agricultural states worsen the situation. The already ailing Delhi, thanks to traffic congestion, further succumbs to pollutants and ends in frequent smog. In Bangalore’s case, the terrain that is part of deccan plateau where rain or wind brushes away the particulate matters, though piling garbage, ever growing infra constructions and traffic jams will soon make the city a hell if no action is taken.

Dr Chanakya Hoysall, Chief Research Scientist at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore adds, “Bangalore has a unique topography /geography.  It is a Table Mesa where altitude falls by about 1000 feet in any direction.  Air flow from any direction will push the air mass upwards and or away from Bangalore.  This is also enhanced by the green cover around this part that increases transpiration as well as its condensation / precipitation over Bengaluru.  There will thus always be some air movements that sucks up the air to move upwards and therefore only in a very few days in the year one will experience inversions that are the common cause of Fog and Smog of North India. You may see this inversion in a few places in Bengaluru like the trough opposite BDA Head Office, Ramanagara, some parts of Devanahalli airport, GKVK, etc.”