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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

Gurugram's air worse than Delhi's most polluted areas -Jayashree Nandi

-The Times of India

When cycling enthusiast Amit Bhatt moved to Gurugram from Delhi some eight years back, he was counting on clean air and clear roads. But eight years later, Bhatt, the head of urban transport at World Resources Institute (WRI), has had to seriously cut down on cycling. That's because over the years the air in Gurugram has become so foul it's now quite unbreathable.

TOI did an analysis of the air quality index (AQI) in various parts of Delhi and Gurugram, and the results are shocking. Gurugram's average AQI for PM 2.5 has been higher than even the most polluted parts of Delhi since April 20. Experts point out that these fine pollution particles are not just from natural dust but also toxic diesel emissions from generator sets, diesel autos and cars.

Bhatt used to cycle to work almost daily but now does it once a week. "I had seen a map that showed scary PM 2.5 concentrations around NH8. It showed how the adjoining areas were affected. The pollution worries me. I have reduced cycling over time and have started depending on taxis despite knowing that they are polluting my city more," said Bhatt.

According to Bhat, the mobility pattern in Gurugram played a huge role in the mess. The Metro is there but without adequate last-mile connectivity options; diesel taxis and autos are adding severely to the pollution. "As against a requirement of at least 1,000 buses, there are only about 40 buses. The government has been planning to buy more buses for a long time now but hasn't bought them yet. It's a vicious cycle where people are buying more cars because there is no other transport available and there is induced traffic," he added. About 41% of the people here commute to work by cars and two-wheelers compared with 30% in Delhi.

The PM 2.5 concentrations in Gurugram has ranged from 226 micrograms per cubic metres to 73 micrograms per cubic metres between May 6 and May 14, which is between 3.76 and 1.21 times the safe limit.

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