Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the third most populous city in India and is located in the southern end of the country. The city is well-known for being highly developed and industrialized. It’s the major hub of India’s information technology, telecommunication, and biotechnology sectors. Despite its major economic development in recent years, the city struggles to control pollution levels, a similar story to other major Indian cities.
This article will specifically cover these three areas of pollution in Bangalore:
Air Pollution in Bangalore
Bangalore has substantially healthier air quality compared to similarly-sized Indian cities, likely due to its reliance on IT sectors compared to industry and manufacturing (which are much more polluting). IQAir’s 2020 air quality report found that Bangalore had the 469th worst air quality of 4,744 countries evaluated.
The average annual concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Bangalore was found to be 27.5 ug/m3, which is over five times the standard concentration of 5 ug/m3 set by the World Health Organization.
Causes of Bangalore’s air pollution are mostly due to:
- Vehicular emissions
- Dust particles
As the city continues to develop, more vehicles are introduced to the city which means more emissions, and more health problems for the city’s residents. Although the air pollution has decreased in recent years due to less reliance on industry, air pollution is projected to get much worse in the next 10 years due to increased vehicles on the road.
Water Pollution in Bangalore
Bangalore’s water pollution comes from:
- Residential sewage
- Infrastructure development
- Plastic waste
- Industrial runoff
Pollution from these activities affects Bangalore’s lakes and rivers, as well as its drinking water.
Surface Water
Bangalore’s main surface water includes hundreds of small lakes throughout the city, there are also small streams which flow through the city. Explosive infrastructure growth has caused intense pollution of Bangalore’s surface water. In fact, the Bellandur Lake–Bangalore’s largest lake–regularly catches fire because it is so polluted. 40% of the city’s untreated sewage flows into this lake each day. Of Bangalore’s 189 lakes, zero are safe for dinking water or bathing.
Drinking Water
Bangalore’s water is among the most unsafe of any Indian city. None of the tap water in the city is safe to drink due to contamination. The city is also facing water supply shortages. As lakes become more polluted, fewer are able to be used to supply water from the city, so Bangalore must pipe water in from outside the city, often through corroded, leaky pipes.
Land Pollution in Bangalore
Along with Bangalore’s rapid development has come a rapid growth in the amount of garbage produced by residents of the city. Bangalore produces over 5000 tons of waste per day. Bangalore also struggles with waste management infrastructure, so most of the waste is not treated safely. Instead, it is left to pile up in under-regulated landfills where it contaminates the soil and water, and can release pollutants into the air.
Key Takeaways
Air Pollution: Healthier air quality compared to other major Indian cities, but poor air quality still causes health issues for residents.
Water Pollution: Very contaminated water due to infrastructure development and sewage dumping. None of the city’s lakes are safe to bathe in, and none of the tap water is safe to drink.
Land Pollution: Insufficient solid waste management system leads to soil contamination as hazardous toxins build up in landfills, eventually harming wildlife and human health.