VEHICLE POLLUTION IN KERALA

Kerala is gasping from the effects of noxious fumes emitted by the tens of thousands of motor vehicles jamming its streets. Thick smoke spewing, especially from buses and trucks, is a disgusting but common sight in a state where ‘Pollution Under Control’ certificate is mandatory for any vehicle. Two-wheeler riders, pedestrians and the traffic policemen are the worst hit in this respect.

It has long been established that air pollution is the major cause of asthma and other allergy problems. Some chemicals found in vehicle exhaust are known to cause cancer, birth defects and brain/nerve damage. A recent household survey has revealed that 12 % of adult deaths in Thiruvananthapuram were due to respiratory diseases. There has been a three-fold increase in chronic respiratory diseases during the last decade. The number of children getting affected by asthma, pneumonia and allergies are also on the increase.

A study by NATPAC has estimated that motor vehicles are emitting 210 tonnes of gaseous pollutants daily in the capital alone.

The State of Environment Report of 2005, published by the Kerela State Council for Science and Technology, points out that vehicular emission and noise are very severe in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, because of the rapid increase in the number of vehicles plying on the roads. The number has gone up from 1.19 lakhs in 1975 to 35 lakhs in 2006. Personal transport vehicles constitute 72 percent of these – and 77 per cent of these personal vehicles are two-wheelers. Obviously, an ineffective public transport system has led to over-dependence on personalized modes of transport.

Heavy vehicles are the worst polluters. The State has a fleet of 4000-odd state owned KSRTC buses and 31000 private buses. It is common knowledge that the KSRTC takes the PUC certificates for its buses only when they are to be produced for the annual Certificate of Fitness test, though the rules require that PUC certificates are renewed every three months. But these vehicles are rarely checked on the roads by the authorities, whose prime targets are always personalized vehicle owners.

The private bus operators manage to get the PUC certificates for even vehicles seen to emit the thickest and foulest fumes, via the’ back door’. However, the Motor Vehicles Department and the police do not dare to penalize them, for the threat of a flash strike always looms large. Lack of adequate staff in the Motor Vehicles Department and use of pirated software by the testing centres also contribute to offenders getting away scot-free. Dirty air filters and defective valves are cited as the main reasons for the high exhaust levels, apart from absolute indifference towards periodic maintenance of these public transport vehicles.

The obvious solution is the strict enforcement of laws and penalties for the offending vehicle owners, whether public or private. The authorities claim that steps have been initiated to upgrade the testing centres and to make issuance of PUC certificates foolproof.

However, the ideal long term solution would be a much more efficient public transport system. Bigger buses are a viable possibility, provided we can have good roads, segregated bus bays and traffic segregation.

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