Garden city gasping

Strap (Page 1): Bangalore’s Garden City charm under siege, AQLI report warns air is six times worse than WHO standards

Strap (Page 8&9): Poor air quality silently damages lungs of children and chronic patients, raising infections and long-term health concerns

Blurb:

Experts warn that unchecked traffic, relentless construction, and rapid urban sprawl are making the crisis worse. It’s time for citizens, authorities, and businesses to act—clean our air, curb pollution, and reclaim its Garden city moniker

Byline: Shivani Venugopal

Air is the elixir of life—but is Bangalore actually breathing it? A recent report by the University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) paints a grim picture: for years, the city hasn’t been inhaling truly clean, healthy air.

Over the last 25 years, Bangalore’s air quality has deteriorated sharply. The culprit? Excess levels of PM 2.5—tiny particulate matter hovering above 30 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter)—making the city’s air toxic.

“The levels are six times higher than the WHO’s annual guideline of 5 µg/m³, reducing the life expectancy of every Bangalorean by about two years,” warns Tanushree Ganguly, Director of AQLI.

So, what’s choking the city? Human activity tops the list: vehicle emissions, construction dust, industrial output. Mother Nature chips in with wildfires and dust storms. Together, they push particulate matter (PM) into the air—tiny solid particles and liquid droplets, including dust, soot, smoke, and aerosols—that make breathing a hazard.

Particulate matter comes in different sizes. PM 10 are the coarser particles, while PM 2.5—just 2.5 micrometers across, 30 times smaller than a human hair—are the real danger. These microscopic invaders slip deep into lungs, cross into the bloodstream, and can trigger cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, even cancers.

In short: Bangaloreans are living in an invisible threat. And the air we take for granted? It might just be silently stealing years from our lives.

 

City chokes

According to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), 51% of Bangalore’s air pollution comes from road dust, followed by vehicle emissions, construction activity, and industrial waste. The Transport Department says that as of April 2025, the city has 82.4 lakh two-wheelers and 25.2 lakh four-wheelers, pushing total vehicle registrations past 1.2 crore. “The month of July saw decent air quality, but the annual average for 2024-25 is still being processed,” said a KSPCB official who requested anonymity.

These statistics align with broader research on the city’s air quality. Lending weight to the University of Chicago’s AQLI findings, Dr Manjunath PH, Consultant-Interventional Pulmonologist at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Kengeri, confirms that Bangalore’s air is undeniably polluted, with serious health consequences for residents. “Respiratory issues have been on the rise for over a decade due to poor air quality,” he notes.

While the monsoon season offers temporary relief as rains wash away pollutants, hospitals see patients with respiratory complaints throughout the year. Winter, however, is particularly brutal. “Respiratory cases spike during winter due to atmospheric conditions that worsen pollution,” Dr Manjunath explains.

The toll is severe, especially for patients with chronic respiratory ailments. Those with COPD, bronchial asthma, or compromised immunity are highly vulnerable, while lung cancer patients face heightened risks. Poor air quality also stunts lung development in infants and children, reducing lung capacity and increasing susceptibility to infections—potentially leading to long-term chronic respiratory diseases.

Echoing these concerns, Prof. Dr H Paramesh, paediatric pulmonologist and environmentalist, warns that Bangalore’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is three-and-a-half times higher than WHO standards, though still below China’s. Nasal health and related comorbidities are particularly worrying. “The air we breathe is a silent killer—from womb to tomb,” he says.

Dr Paramesh highlights alarming statistics: polluted air contributes to 43% of chronic lung diseases, 29% of lung cancer, 25% of heart disease, and 24% of strokes in the city. Beyond lungs and heart, air pollution affects the brain, potentially causing behavioural and cognitive problems. “Particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers and gases like nitrogen dioxide cross lung layers into the bloodstream, affecting vital organs including the brain,” he elaborates.

For Bangaloreans, these findings underscore a grim reality: the city’s rapid urbanisation and relentless traffic growth are not just environmental issues—they are public health emergencies. From infants struggling to breathe to elderly residents like Rajeshwari coping with chronic ailments, no age group is spared.

The stark message from medical experts is clear – Bangalore’s air is a slow-moving health crisis, and urgent action is needed to curb pollution before it claims more lives, compromises future generations, and transforms the city’s famed “Garden City” charm into a cautionary tale of urban neglect.

 

Up in arms against the crisis

Lifelong Bangalorean, 75-year-old Rajeshwari laments the loss of the city’s once-pristine air and water. She wishes she had captured it in a time capsule, preserving the natural goodness that sustained life effortlessly decades ago.

Today, the air she breathes is toxic, and the water she consumes is contaminated. “Bangalore was truly a Garden City, with clean air and tap water you could drink. Do I still have that luxury?” she asks, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

Once an avid public transport user, Rajeshwari now avoids travelling, blaming the city’s drastic transformation. “Earlier, I took the bus everywhere. Now, traffic and pollution make it difficult, so I prefer to stay home,” she says.

The impact extends to her family—respiratory issues are common. “Urbanisation, the IT boom, relentless construction, and rising vehicles have poisoned the air. Breathing has become a daily struggle,” she adds.

For Bangaloreans, Rajeshwari’s story is a stark reminder – rapid urban growth has turned the city’s once-lush environment into a silent health hazard.

In response, the KSPCB has drawn up a 44-point action plan in coordination with the BBMP, Urban Development Department, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and the Transport Department, among others.

“The action points have already been implemented and are reviewed regularly by the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary,” said the KSPCB official.

Drawing inspiration from Mexico, which transformed from the world’s most polluted city in 2019 to one of the cleanest countries by 2025, Dr H Paramesh stresses the importance of robust public transport, public-private collaboration, and citizen commitment to achieve cleaner air in Bangalore.

Echoing Rajeshwari’s concerns, he also recommends slowing down rapid urbanisation to protect the environment and public health.

To tackle the health hazards of air pollution, Ganguly of the Air Quality Life Index calls for a multi-sectoral approach. “From improving waste management and regulating traffic to promoting cycling and walking, action across all sectors is key,” she says, stressing coordinated efforts for a healthier Bangalore.

Meanwhile, the city’s air is choking its people, silently harming lives and health. Experts warn that unchecked traffic, relentless construction, and rapid urban sprawl are making the crisis worse. It’s time for citizens, authorities, and businesses to act—clean our air, curb pollution, and reclaim Bangalore’s Garden City legacy before it’s too late.

 

BOX –

PM2.5	ug/m3(microgram per cubic meter)	Potential gain in life expectancy with respect to WHO guidelines of 5 microgram per cubic meter (In Years)
1998	13.1	0.8
1999	13.81	0.9
2000	18.08	1.3
2001	18.96	1.4
2002	19.26	1.4
2003	19.83	1.5
2004	21.56	1.6
2005	24.21	1.9
2006	23.93	1.9
2007	25.15	2
2008	26.45	2.1
2009	27.11	2.2
2010	27.28	2.2
2011	27.79	2.2
2012	26.79	2.1
2013	26.51	2.1
2014	28.13	2.3
2015	27.92	2.2
2016	34.36	2.9
2017	29.01	2.4
2018	31.34	2.6
2019	30.04	2.5
2020	27.66	2.2
2021	30.21	2.5
2022	29.72	2.4
2023	26.21	2.1

 

***According to University of Chicago’s AQLI stats, the air pollution levels from 1998 to 2023.

***The data also reveals the estimated number of years gained by every Bangalorean had the air quality been within the WHO guideline of 5 micrograms per year.