According to the findings of the emission inventory by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, (IITM) Pune, Emission from diesel-operated vehicles and dust from road construction have emerged as major pollutants in the city. College students have helped collect information from source (hotels, vehicles, slums, industry) of pollution for the emission inventory under the guidance of IITM scientists. Gufran Beig, programme director and scientist of IITM, told that the data showed that majority of the vehicles used diesel. Diesel is a major source of fine-particle pollution and can cause health problems. Diesel vehicles are the main source of street-level pollution. During the data collection, 44 roads in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad were monitored for vehicle density. It found that 10% three wheelers use diesel. In case of cars- jeeps, Buses and light commercial vehicles 60%, 94%, 78% use diesel respectively. 93% of Heavy commercial vehicles use diesel.
Good thing is majority of slum residents use LPG in Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation instead of coal, wood and kerosene. It shows that slum residents are more conscious and there is development in these pockets. In the commercial sector fuel usage, it was also found that, a majority of the hotels use LPG, but street vendors use both LPG and kerosene.
System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research’ (SAFAR) will provide information on air quality in real time and make air quality forecast 24 hours in advance along with weather data. The value of different pollutants and how one can prevent it will be displayed on LCD colour screens in 20 important locations across the city. There will be 10 monitoring stations that will be set up in city and its outskirts, with facilities like sophisticated instruments for continuous measurements providing valuable inputs about air pollutants
