Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Despite being India’s cleanest city for the past five years in a row, Indore is sadly lacking in good air quality as the city is facing serious issues arising from air pollution. The root cause is polluting vehicles as vehicle exhausts make a major contribution—around 40 per cent—to air pollution, which causes such ailments as asthma and bronchitis and heightens the risk of life-threatening conditions like cancer.
The traffic police, however, are negligent about this, as only eight challans were slapped on polluting vehicles for air pollution which is very minimal compared to others. Despite the efforts of the Pollution Control Board and civic bodies, the air quality of Indore is deteriorating because the main cause of air pollution is being neglected.
Even after collector Manish Singh asked officials to launch a drive against polluting vehicles across the city and orders to cancel the registration of polluting vehicles if they fail to get a PUC certificate within 10 days, no action has been taken so far.
This shows that the traffic police are turning a blind eye towards polluting vehicles.
‘Check on rising AQI needed’
‘Vehicular pollution is one of the major reasons for increasing pollution in the city. Action must be taken against polluting vehicles to put a check on rising AQI’
— Dr DK Wagela, ex-chief chemist, MPPCB
AQI over 150 in city for past 10 days
Date - AQI
May 8 - 173
May 9 - 165
May 10 - 153
May 11 - 179
May 12 - 170
May 13 - 148
May 14 - 156
May 15 - 147
May 16 - 139
May 17 - 167
May 18 - 188
