Automobiles were cited as a major contributor to the air pollution that was observed between 2022 and 2023 in the pre-monsoon air quality study issued by the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), with the number of registered cars increasing by 6.3% since 2022.
For instance, the number of registered cars in Lucknow city increased from around 26.5 lakh cars last year to just over 28 lakh cars this year, with two-wheeled accounting for 20 lacks of the aforementioned cars.
Additionally, there are now 196 more electric city buses than there were last year, an increase of 100.
These figures were compiled using information from the State Road Transport Corporation and the Regional Transport Office.
The statistics on petrol and diesel use were gathered from the nation’s top oil firms’ city gasoline stations.
The Environment Monitoring Division of the IITR lab of the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) assessed the city’s ambient air quality prior to the monsoon.
The amounts of inhaled particles in suspension and fine particulate matter, gases, and traces of lead and nickel were measured at nine monitoring points around Lucknow to determine the air quality.
Automobiles were included as one of the biggest sources of air pollution in the research, however, it was noted that their contribution paled in contrast to the amounts of noise pollution that were measured.
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The survey was done during an unseasonal period of sporadic rains, which the report blamed for some of the air pollution levels.
According to a scientist involved in the assessment and research, it is impossible to draw a direct link between the increase in automobiles and petrol use and air quality, but these factors, along with a number of other factors, do contribute to changes in ambient air quality.
“Air quality is a perpetually fluctuating variable,” he added. “Several elements like weather conditions, building endeavors, and locations of data collection centers all affect the measured quality of the air for that particular time.”
However, he continued, “If seen from a very basic viewpoint, the increase in the number of cars as well as the use of these oils are certain to have an influence on that air quality and have a detrimental effect on the environment.
