Jagraon Bridge area most polluted in Ludhiana city

Ludhiana, October 18
The recent survey of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has brought out some shocking facts. The Jagraon Bridge area is be one of the most polluted parts of the city, where 348 microgram/m3 of air was found to be polluted during the day. This figure is three times more than the national ambient air quality standards, which is 100 micrograms/m3.
The reason for this is that the area witnesses traffic snarls for hours, besides other factors. The worst sufferers are the traffic cops posted at the spot and have to stand there throughout the day without masks.
Even in the other parts of the city at night, when vehicular traffic is not much, the level of the particulate matter was more than 100 micrograms/m3.
Board officials have suggested several measures to bring down pollution levels, some of which include that commercial vehicles, which are more than 15 years old, should be taken off the road and diesel-run autorickshaws should be phased out.
However, government departments seem least bothered when it comes to taking old commercial vehicles off the road. The Municipal Corporation (MC) has deputed five trucks which have outlived their life for collecting garbage in the city.
With an aim to bring down pollution levels, the government had started promoting LPG-run autorickshaws. But the owners of these autorickshaws are a harried lot as there is only one LPG filling station.
Board chairman Kahan Singh Pannu has suggested that strict measures should be taken to check the emission levels of other vehicles by improving the system of certification by pollution under check (PUC) centres. “We will be writing to the government departments concerned to take action so that the pollution levels in the city can be brought down,” said Pannu.