Bengaluru: Trees are the best air purifiers, says A.N. Yellappa Reddy

Bengaluru: Air purifiers may be beneficial for a city like Benglauru, whose air quality is fast deteriorating, but environmentalists point out that installing such purifiers across the city would be prohibitively expensive.

Why civic bodies such as BBMP and BDA, and BMRCL have failed to focus on cheaper alternatives like tree planting or afforestation, questions A.N. Yellappa Reddy, a noted environmentalist.

He told DC that as per the survey conducted by the BBMP the city will require about 44,000 air purifiers at different locations. Each machine is estimated to cost Rs 2.5 lakh.

He said that instead of cutting trees for projects like road widening, underpass and over passes, the government should encourage mass rapid transport.

As for the newly installed air purifiers, Reddy said these are designed to suck the dust particles and are also called dust-eaters.

One machine installed at Cubbon park is quite effective. The high quality membrane helps purify air by sucking dust particles. However, they require periodical maintenance, or it may not serve its purpose.

Asked about the capacity of air purifiers required for Bengaluru, Reddy said it depended on the location and the kind of activity there.

For instance, construction activity in an area area needs either higher capacity air purifier or frequent maintenance as the amount of dust particles would be too high. Vehicles idling at various traffic junctions are also a major source of air pollution, Reddy explained.

He lamented that the city has lost is green cover at an alarming rate over the last few years.

He pointed out that it requires at least five years for a single tree to form a canopy, provided it is properly nurtured and taken care. Nature is the best answer and planting more tress is cost-effective way to deal with air pollution problem.

The BBMP and other civic agencies must plan for large scale planting of trees to reduce air pollution across the city, he stressed.