Once ranked India’s second greenest city, Nagpur’s air quality has deteriorated sharply, with vehicles responsible for 47 per cent of total pollution, according to data from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
Of the gases emitted by vehicles, carbon monoxide accounts for 57.4 per cent, followed by nitrogen oxide at 23.4 per cent, hydrocarbons at 15.6 per cent, and fine particulate matter at 3.6 per cent, the NEERI figures show. The pollution is affecting residents’ health, and is also damaging crops.
“Every breath Nagpurians take is laden with fine particles and harmful gases — equivalent in impact to smoking about two-and-a-half cigarettes a day. This is reducing immunity and raising the risk of respiratory and cardiac disease. Children’s lungs face long-term damage,” said Dr. Ashok Arbat, senior respiratory specialist.
Health effects documented include chronic cough, worsening asthma, increased cancer risk from toxic gases, and stunted lung development in children.
Electric vehicles are often cited as a solution, but barriers remain. Two-wheeler EVs cost more than petrol counterparts, batteries account for 30 to 45 per cent of vehicle cost, and battery life is limited to three to five years. Experts also note that coal-based electricity generation means EVs are not entirely emission-free.
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