Problems
The Lucknow's air quality has worsened drastically
According to the World Air Quality Report 2020, Lucknow is presently the ninth most polluted city in the world with pm 2.5 concentrations docked at 86.2 µg/m3 – 11 times more than WHO limits. The city suffered an estimated economic loss of Rs 8,001 crore ($1.1billion) due to bad air quality, and 6700 deaths in 2020. Researchers who have studied various aspects of air pollution in the city have identified particulate matter as the main air pollutant in the city. Presently, Lucknow has more than 18 lakh vehicles, and this number is increasing at an average rate of about 9 percent every year. Also affecting the air quality in the city is the increase in construction activities in the last few years including construction being undertaken for metro rail, roads, flyovers construction, and multi-story apartment complexes. An increase in industrial activities, increased energy consumption, burning of biomass and garbage have also resulted in a decrease in the quality of the city’s ambient air. Besides the four industrial corridors that have at least 155 industries producing hazardous emissions, 255 brick kilns are also in operation around Lucknow City – contributing to pollution levels.
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2022
The city's air quality has worsened drastically once again and so much so that it has even surpassed the high pollution levels recorded in the pre-Covid times. The hazardous PM 2.5 concentration in the pre-monsoon season has increased by 43.9% as compared to last year. Moreover, the PM 2.5 concentration levels were 10% more than in 2019. IITR chief scientist GC Kisku, who led the air monitoring survey, attributed the rise to increase in construction activities and vehicular load that led to traffic snarls, fuel combustion and road dust dispersion. Open garbage and municipal solid waste burning and weather conditions due to less rain are the main reasons for this pollution spike, he added. The situation is even more alarming since PM2.5 concentrations were recorded above the permissible limits in all the nine localities — four residential and commercial each, and one industrial monitored by IITR. In residential areas, Indiranagar was the most polluted with the highest PM2.5 concentration followed by Aliganj, Gomtinagar and Vikasnagar, while in commercial areas Charbagh was the most polluted followed by Chowk, Alambagh and Aminabad. “The vehicles on the road have increased by 5.4% as compared to last year and the consumption of CNG gas has gone up by 157.98%. Petrol consumption has also increased by 4.43%,” said Kisku. He said CNG vehicles like taxis have increased by 34.9% while Omni buses have increased by 11.9%. Fuel combustion is one of the main reasons behind the increase in PM2.5 concentration, he added. The increase in air pollution levels can take a toll on human health as studies have found that PM2.5 penetrates deep into lungs, corrodes the alveolar wall and consequently impairs lung function. Further studies in toxicology and related fields have revealed that the pollutant has increased human mortality rate and diseases. Air pollution has led to a decrease in average life span from months to a few years, he added.
2021
Air pollution in Lucknow on Diwali (November 4) were recorded much above the national average for several pollutants, according to a report by Lucknow-based Indian institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) and released on Sunday. The IITR report titled “Ambient Air Quality in Lucknow During Pre-Diwali, Diwali and Post Diwali Festival” took air quality data from nine locations of the city. “The data revealed that both types of respirable particulate matters, PM10 and PM2.5 , monitored during pre-Diwali, Diwali and post-Diwali, were above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of 60 and 100 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and PM10 respectively,” said SN Barik, the acting director of IITR. PM10 are particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers. They are also called fine particles. Environmental experts say PM10 is also known as respirable particulate matter. Particulate matter is a complex mixture of soot, smoke, metals, nitrates, sulphates, dust water and rubber. PM2. 5 refers to particles that have diameter less than 2.5 micrometres (more than 100 times thinner than a human hair) and remain suspended for longer. These particles are formed as a result of burning fuel and chemical reactions that take place in the atmosphere.
In 2020 alone, air pollution in the city caused 20 avoidable deaths in a day. In winters, the problem becomes more apparent as air quality reaches toxic levels. Along with 14 others in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow has been identified as a non-attainment city (i.e. a city which does not meet the fixed standard of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under the National Clean Air Programme (NACAP) by the Central Board Of Pollution Control for five years now. Under the NCAP, cities are required to prepare city-specific clean air plans as a primary mitigation measure for reducing particulate concentration by 20 to 30 percent by 2024. Since the implementation of the action plan in 2018, the city’s air quality has improved slightly, but the extreme health hazard remains. Currently, UPPCB is planning to implement a grid-level action plan, using a methodology developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to manage the air quality at a micro-unit level. As per the plan, Lucknow city will be divided into grids, each measuring 2 km by 2 km each. This is aimed at gathering more detailed information on the air quality area-wise so that the information can be used to and then prioritize the areas that need immediate attention. For the implementation of the plan, 45 crores have been granted by the Finance Commission for the implementation of this plan. The UPPCB has also undertaken projects for creating a green cover around the city. This would include the development of greenbelts along the highways, landfill sites, and areas such as that around brick kilns.