11K people die in Chennai every year for air pollution: Anbumani

CHENNAI: PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday released the Chennai Clean Air Action Plan, on World Environment Day, and said that 11,000 people die due to air pollution every year in Chennai.

"70 lakh die globally due to air pollution every year, 17 lakh die in India due to air pollution annually and 11,000 die in Chennai every year. This amounts to 30 deaths every day due to air pollution in Chennai. The number is alarming and the State government should devise immediate plans to bring pollution under control,” said Anbumani, while addressing the media, after releasing the 44 page action plan document.

June 5 is observed as World Environment Day from 1973 and 2022 is the 49th year. The theme for this year is 'Only One Earth' and on the day Anbumani released the action plan document prepared by 'Pasumai Thayagam', one of the sister organisations of PMK which works on environment and issues concerned.

The document while describing the air pollution scenario in the city also listed out the reasons for pollution and the remedial measures. According to the report, based on data collected from The Urban Emissions Info organisation's report of 2017, vehicular pollution 24.6 per cent of air pollution is caused by vehicular pollution and 23.5 per cent of pollution is caused by dust.

Anbumani said that increased usage of the public transport system will alone reduce vehicular pollution. "The State government should increase the number of buses to 8,000 and all the buses should be electric. To encourage the usage of buses, the State government should make the travel free for all,” said Anbumani.

When asked about Transport Corporations in the state are facing loss and how they can manage free travel for all, Anbumani replied that loss is due to corruption. "When private bus operators are operating with profit, how can the government not operate with profit. There is corruption at every level in the government transport corporations resulting in loss", said Anbumani.

When asked about the recent incidents about the explosion of electric vehicles in the state, Anbumani replied that there is transition in the manufacture of vehicles as type of vehicles has moved from diesel or petrol to hybrid and to electric vehicles and in the transmission stage the battery component has malfunctioned in the vehicles but the situation will improve in another six months.

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