Bengaluru to become uninhabitable by 2030: IISc study
What's the story
The country's IT city, Bengaluru, might become inhabitable by 2030, as per IISc. The premier institute says if the transport department does not adopt sustainable solutions, the city will slowly trudge towards the doomsday. The study points the needle at this particular department because of the rising number of vehicles getting registered every day, which means more vehicular emission, and increase in CO2 levels.
Details
Vehicular population + pollution + rapid urbanization = Alarming picture
The city RTOs get 2,000 vehicle registrations per day, with 90% belonging to cars and two-wheelers. Till February this year, Bengaluru's vehicle population stood at 73.5 lakh, which is expected to go north and by 2030, this will result in an increase of CO2 emission by 2,313%. Add rapid urbanization and population rise to it and the whole picture is alarming, says the study.
Findings
Flyover not answer to rising vehicular population: IISc Prof
Prof Ashish Verma, who led the study, says that to mitigate the vehicular population, authorities are constructing flyovers, but "ultimate result will be an increase in pollutants." He added that Bengaluru Development Authority's draft should have considered these factors. The study was compiled after considering the best practices followed globally, like de-congestion rule in Singapore and London, on-share mobility in South American countries, etc.
Can be adapted
Solutions: Congestion tax, Car-free roads, Improving cycle infrastructure
The study says some measures like declaring car-free roads, improving cycling infrastructure can be adapted. Also, one-way corridor, congestion charges for ten major roads, like what's being planned in Delhi, can also be applied in Bengaluru. Additional tax on vehicle purchase, like octroi that existed in Mumbai for 52 years before being banned last year, can also be levied, says the study.