Anti-pollution measures will be implemented in totality: Thimmaiah

Rithu Dravid | NT

In an exclusive interview with News Trail, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Chairman Dr Shanth A. Thimmaiah talks about the initiatives taken by the board to fight air, water and noise pollution across the state.

Set up by the state government in 1974, board deals with environmental impacts, noise pollution, solid waste management, e-waste, plastic waste management, hazardous and other waste management, construction & demolition waste management are some among others. The board also focuses on the prevention and control of water pollution and maintaining or restoring the wholesomeness of water.

The KSPCB has made the Maharaja of Mysore His Highness Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraj as its official brand ambassador. As an image builder he will be involved in all the activities of the pollution control board. Excerpts from the interview:

How do your campaign initiatives/contests help create awareness among the citizens? Like the latest by the KSPCB on The Global One Earth Quiz contest?

We have taken a lot of initiatives in creating awareness. The KSPCB first identifies the issues, subsequently plans and implements policies. The concept of World Environment Day is to create awareness, so we are conducting a Global One Earth Quiz Contest on six themes namely climate change, sustainable development, water, air, land and solid waste. This contest is open to students across Karnataka. Another programme the board has initiated is the Parisara Harate, a serial on environmental protection. Apart from industries, we need public involvement and participation. We are looking forward to team work which is very crucial.

We have taken up screen spaces at major BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) bus stands in the city, which screens important salient features of environmental issues under the directions of the Chief Minister and other concerned ministries. We are under the process of implementing many such inventive measures and also will review the performances of such programs. Our Digital Display System installation at metro stations, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation stations and traffic signals will create mass awareness among public gathering which is under progress.

The live Digital Display System that we are working on will be set up at all district headquarters in the state. This will be solar based digital display boards and will display live messages and relay live environmental speeches and issues by eminent personalities, ministers and WHO (World Health Organisation). This is a unique concept and we are focusing on this.

Can you tell us about the Parisara Harate - the community- based programme by the KSPCB?

Parisara Harate, is a serial on environmental protection. It is a comical communication to create environmental awareness among the public. This will be telecast throughout the year on visual media in various episodes for thirty-minute duration. Famous humourists like Sudha Baragur, Gangavathi Pranesh and others will curate the programme. These episodes will help reach the public in every nook and corner of the state. It will be on all media platforms and we aim to have a global reach.

This will be our primary focus. Media plays an important role be it the press or the electronic media. Unless such programmes that we plan and implement are circulated and speculated in society it will not be successful.

What is the air quality in Bengaluru city as compared to other major cities? Is it as bad as Delhi?

The NCAP (National Clean Air programme) of 2019 and the NRCP (National River Conservation Plan) schemes are taken as baseline data by the KSPCB. These two schemes are national big ambitious projects announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We need a reference point to identify the ambient air quality, according to the scientific data transportation is contributing up to 41%, pollution control board is a nodal agency to monitor the implementation and control. According to the cities identified under this scheme, the air quality should reduce by 25 to 35 per cent.

In Bengaluru city the source apportionment study, which is primarily based on measurements and tracking down the sources through receptor modelling, helps in identifying the sources and extent of their contribution. The activities that contribute to various kinds of pollution can be measured through this study.

The various departments like the BBMP, Metro, Urban Development, smart city are all implementing authorities and the KSPCB is a monitoring authority. Therefore we discuss with these departments and work effectively, scientifically and technically. Hence, we can demonstrate that Karnataka is a progressive state in implementing policies in totality, and ahead of other states as well. Under the NCA