In 2015, a lung health test conducted on 503 school children in Bengaluru revealed an alarming trend: only 11% had lungs in ‘excellent’ condition, while 36% failed the test. Over the past 35 years, asthma cases among children in the city have tripled, with doctors also reporting rising instances of respiratory illnesses, cardiac ailments, and even cancers. The culprit? Escalating levels of air pollution in one of India’s fastest-growing cities.
In a city hurtling forward with unplanned urban growth and chaotic infrastructure projects, the deterioration in air quality is an inevitable consequence. Experts warn that if this trend continues unchecked, Bengaluru’s air pollution trajectory may soon mirror that of New Delhi—a city now infamous for its persistent smog—and other Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in northern India that regularly breach national air quality safety standards.
What’s polluting Bengaluru’s air?
The city’s worsening air quality stems from several interlinked issues:
- Garbage burning due to poor solid waste management logistics, releasing toxic dioxins into the atmosphere.
- A public transport system that fails to meet the needs of 11+ million residents, while vehicular numbers soar past 4.5 million—with over 900 new private vehicles added daily, contributing 60–70% of total pollution.
- Dust pollution from metro construction, degraded roads, and relentless real estate activity, leading to extremely high levels of PM 2.5 and PM10. At peak, some city locations record PM2.5 levels over 300—five times the national safety standard
As part of a recent study by researcher Aishwarya Sudhir, air pollution levels were tested for PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels during peak hours at various points along the Banashankari-Marathahalli route in Bengaluru. At several points on the stretch, the PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels were found to exceed the daily national ambient air quality standard of 60 µg/m3 and 100 µg/m3 (micro grams per cubic meter; a measure of air pollution concentration) respectively.
Read: Multiple interventions fail to curb vehicular emissions in Bengaluru
This study was enabled by CoMediaLab, Oorvani’s initiative in partnership with Radio Active 93.4 MHz CR. The findings were compiled in a detailed report titled ‘Bengaluru’s Rising Air Quality Crisis: The Need for Sustained Reportage and Action.’
Spotlight on Solutions: The Media’s Role
To explore how media can help address this growing crisis, Co Media Lab and Climate Trends organised a focused workshop. The event examined how journalistic efforts can fix accountability, raise public awareness on health risks, highlight practical solutions, and ultimately contribute to making Bengaluru a healthier, more livable city.
The workshop featured films, expert talks, and panel discussions with a diverse group of speakers, including Dr. Shiva Nagendra (IIT Madras), Ronak Sutaria (Urban Sciences), Sandya Narayan and Pinky Chandran (SWMRT), Pawan Mulukutla (World Resources Institute), Meera K (Oorvani Foundation); Vasanthi Hariprakash (Journalist), Sanjay Sridhar (C40 Regional Director), Dr. Patil (Cardiologist, Jayadeva Hospital), Dr. Paramesh (Lakeside Centre for Health Promotion), Anjali Saini (Whitefield Rising) and Nagappa (KSPCB).
Media professionals Saswati Chakravarti, Aarti Khosla, and Thomas Abraham offered critical perspectives on how the media can sustain attention on this issue.
A few snapshots from the workshop:
