Alarmed Milan bans heavy vehicles as AQI nears 200. What Indian cities can learn
Italy's Milan recently found itself on a notorious list of most polluted cities in the world. This is a list which is usually dominated by cities in China and south Asia. But even as cities in Asia continued to figure in this list, the addition of the European city was rather unusual. And authorities in Milan have entered into action mode.
Pollution levels in Milan have spiked in recent days with the AQI or air quality index for the city reaching as high as 193 this past Sunday, February 18. This is around 14 times higher than the permissible limit set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). And even as health experts in Italy are raising a loud alarm on the potentially detrimental impact on human health from exposure to such air, authorities have enforced anti-smog measures.
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200 kmphThe anti-smog measures have been enforced in Italy's northern Lombardy region and come into effect in Milan and eight surrounding provinces. These have come into effect from Tuesday and include a complete ban on heavy vehicles being operated during the day. Some of the other measures include limits on heating and industrial agricultural activities.
What has caused pollution levels to rise in Milan?
Various local media reports highlight experts as saying that negligible wind speeds and a lack of rain have resulted in pollution levels being locked in in the mostly land-locked and industrial northern Po River Valley. Mountain ranges also tend to trap the smog, according to these reports. And vehicular emissions, although not a very high source, also plays a role in increasing pollution levels under such conditions. This year though, this rise has been more than before.
What can Indian cities do to curb air pollution?
While Milan finds itself in an unfamiliar situation as far as toxic air is considered, an AQI of 193 is almost routine in many Indian cities all through the year. There are no alarm bells and while obviously as harmful to the health of the Indian citizen as to an Italian citizen or any other person anywhere else, measures to bring down pollution are limited.
On Wednesday morning, the average AQI calculated from across all monitoring stations in Delhi was at 210, as per aqicn.org. It was at 162 in Jaipur, 152 in Patna and 131 in Lucknow. These aren't the worst that these cities have seen in terms of pollution levels but still significantly higher than the WHO levels.
Factors such as weather and wind conditions, burning of crop residue, vehicular emissions and smoke from heavy industries are often blamed for high pollution levels, especially in the northern parts of the country. But alarm bells, like the ones being sounded in Milan at present, are usually only heard here when pollution is visible to the naked eye and when immediate medical complications are observed.
In the long-run, many believe that an overwhelming switch to electric vehicles, regulating heavy industries and more awareness among people at large could play a significant role in checking air quality here.
