E-buses, need of the hour
Friday marked a unique day for the inhabitants of Srinagar City as the government flagged off a fleet of 20 electric buses (E-buses) that will ply on various routes in the city and other areas.
The fresh fleet of E-buses will be owned by the state owned Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC).
The start of electric bus service is a step forward towards providing eco friendly public transportation with modern facilities to the commuters in the region. The use of E-Buses will help to abate pollution levels and provide a better option of travel for the commuters who have been left gasping for breath.
The start of E-buses is the need of the hour as Srinagar city has been listed as the tenth worst polluted city in the world according to a World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) global urban air pollution database.
According to the figures for 2016, 14 of the world’s most polluted cities are in India — among them Srinagar ranks tenth with 113 micrograms per cubic metre of PM 2.5 concentration.
The WHO database measured the levels of fine particulate matter from more than 4,300 cities in 108 countries. Though, the WHO data was questioned by some officials in Kashmir but the WHO said that the data compiled and used by it was recorded at PM 2.5 level in outdoor ambient air.
The WHO data was also supported by a study jointly conducted by a team of scientists from Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and University of Kashmir found that air quality deteriorates significantly during the winter in Srinagar, otherwise known for its pristine environs.
It revealed that cold temperatures with dry conditions along with elevated levels of biofuel emissions from the domestic sector are responsible for particulate pollution in the winter.
Kashmir, known as a paradise on earth has been fighting the rise in air pollution since past many years now. It is a different story altogether that the state governments over the years have failed to act on this crucial issue.
The data compiled by the two studies also reveals that on some days, the air pollution in Srinagar was worse than that in Delhi and as bad as Kolkata. However, we keep on turning a blind eye on such reports as no one wants to take responsibility for doing something to control rising air pollution levels.
Kashmir has been witnessing a tremendous rise in the number of commercial and private vehicles. Every household in Kashmir valley owns almost few cars and two wheelers as the public transport system here is in a pretty bad shape.
This being the reason that the air pollution levels have turned alarmingly high. However, resorting to the use of E-Buses will contribute in reducing the pollution levels. The move will also help in improving the quality of mass transportation.
KV Network
