Long, deadly life

Patna, Oct. 25: Vehicles aged 15 years and above will continue spewing cancer-causing fumes in the capital till at least the Hunkar Rally gets over.

On July 15, the state transport department had decided to ban the plying of buses, tempos, autorickshaws and school buses more than 15 years old in Patna. The Supreme Court’s 1998 order banning the plying of such commercial and private vehicles prompted the decision.

State transport minister Brishin Patel, however, said that any action in this regard would be taken only after the BJP’s Hunkar Rally scheduled for Sunday. “I admit that the department had issued an order stopping the operation of comparatively older vehicles by mid-October. But we have still not framed any plan of action to implement it. We would be able to decide on such old vehicles only after the Hunkar Rally,” said Patel.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report in September-end ranked Patna 48th among 1,100 cities on urban outdoor air pollution between 2003 and 2010. Another WHO report released this month linked air pollution caused by old vehicles to cancer.

Suresh Mishra, a resident of Boring Road, said: “Most yellow city service buses seem dilapidated. They belch out black smoke. I can hardly keep my eyes open when riding my bike behind such vehicles.”

From the point of view of health, Subhash Chandra Jha, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Patna Medical College and Hospital, said: “Air pollution can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, asthma, lung cancer, lung fibrosis, silicosis and sore throat among others. Emission from autorickshaws running on a kerosene-petrol concoction is the biggest factor of pollution in Patna.”

“Most 15-year-old-plus vehicles in the city are diesel driven and emit high levels of soot particles, including PM10 and PM2.5, and nitrogen oxide. Moreover, those running on petrol emit higher levels of unburnt hydrocarbons like carbon monoxide among others,” said Arun Kumar, scientist, Bihar State Pollution Control Board.

Voicing concern, Ashok Ghosh, member, state-level expert appraisal committee of State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, said: “Pollution check of vehicles should be made more stringent. The sole responsibility of pollution checks falls on the transport department. A lot of unburnt fuel, including lead, comes out of the carburettor of old vehicles. The number of such vehicles is comparatively very high than the road network in Patna. So, environment-friendly public transport should be promoted so as to discourage rise in number of private vehicles.”

The Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) also condemned the running of old vehicles.

“Many old autorickshaws in the capital run on kerosene. Vehicular emission is the main source of air pollution in Patna. I believe that introduction of compressed natural gas vehicles can improve the situation,” said Subhas Chandra Singh, chairman, BSPCB.

Sources said 100 of 375 city service mini bus seva buses are probably older than 15 years. A few hundred autorickshaws and six-seater tempos also fall in that bracket. At present, over 20,000 autorickshaws and around 4,000 six-seater tempos ply in Patna.

The transport department had also decided that owners of old vehicles must get them replaced with new ones within three months, failing which the old permits would be terminated. A senior official at the Patna district transport office said: “Though the deadline has passed, we have not received any order from the transport department on cancellation of permits.”