Air quality in Mysore

Does Mysore have an air pollution problem?

Mysore, also known as Mysuru officially, is a city located in the southern region of the Indian state Karnataka, with some relatively high elevations above sea level, a factor that can play a part in the quality of air seen in the city. The city is well known for its large amount of cultural and heritage sites, which draw in large amounts of tourists, making tourism one of its main economic strengths (something which suffered drastically during the imposed lockdowns that occurred during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

Alongside tourism, Mysore is also home to a large amount of industries based around information technology, fabric and garment manufacturing, as well as food production revolving mainly around items such as lime and salt. There are many large industrial areas throughout the city, which can have a significant impact on the quality of air due to excessive pollutive output from the factory processes that take place.

In early 2021, Mysore was recorded with PM2.5 readings going as high as 39.2 μg/m³, a reading that placed the city into the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups bracket’, which requires a PM2.5 reading of anywhere between 35.5 to 55.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such. Whilst there were other readings that went as low as 20.1 μg/m³ (placing it in the moderate air pollution bracket), it still stands to reason that a majority of its air pollution readings came in between 25 to 35 μg/m³, indicating that Mysore has a fair amount of pollution related issues occurring in the city that could be improved upon.

What causes polluted air in Mysore?

As with many cities across India, Mysore is subject to similar if not identical sources of pollution. A rapidly growing population, coupled with an explosion in infrastructure, urbanization and increased vehicle ownership, causes numerous sources to come together to form the heightened levels of air pollution seen in Mysore. As mentioned, with a heavy increase in the amount of vehicles on the road, there would also be a subsequent rise in the pollution emanating from such sources. Cars, motorbikes and numerous other small vehicles are one of the biggest pollutive concerns across India, due to their insidious nature of being in constant use, thus raising the year round ambient pollution readings and releasing large amounts of dangerous chemical compounds as well as hazardous fine particulate matter into the air.

Besides these smaller vehicles, with an increase in industry as well as larger requirements for the general population (regarding food, supplies and other general living necessities), there would also be an increase in the amount of heavy duty vehicles seen on the road. These include ones such as trucks, lorries and even buses. Due to their great size and weight, as well as running on unclean fuel sources such as diesel, they often put out far more noxious pollutants than their smaller counterparts would. When examining the vehicle pollution issue, of note is that many of the automobiles present on the road in Mysore and indeed much of India are particularly aged and well past their best years in terms of engine efficiency. Ancient motors tend to leak far more dangerous oil vapors and put out greater amounts of pollution due to the poor fuel combustion taking place in the engine.

Other prominent sources of pollution present in Mysore include ones such as factory emissions, both from power plants as well as other related industrial areas. Burning of refuse and garbage can also contribute heavily to particularly dangerous pollutants in the air (especially when synthetic waste is burnt), alongside construction sites, road repairs and even the burning of certain crop fields. These are some of the many pollutive issues present in Mysore, with vehicles and factory fumes being amongst the most prominent.

Who is most vulnerable to polluted air in Mysore?

Whilst pollution has the insidious ability to affect every level of the population, with even healthy young adults vulnerable to the adverse effects of chemical contaminants if excessive exposure occurs, there are certain groups that are even more vulnerable to pollution and its detrimental effects. These include ones such as young children, who can develop life long issues, developmental problems and allergies when exposed to certain chemicals in the air.

Others include the elderly, who can suffer grave consequences when subject to respiratory ailments usually due to a more fragile health disposition. Those who have preexisting health conditions, an acute sensitivity to certain chemicals found in the air as well as those with compromised immune systems due to illness or other reasons also being more at risk. Lastly, pregnant mothers are extremely vulnerable during this vital period of time, with unborn babies being subject to some serious problems when over exposure occurs such as heightened chances of miscarriage, premature birth as well as physical or mental defects due to the neurological damage that certain chemical pollutants can cause.

What can be done to reduce pollution in Mysore?

In order to reduce the amount of pollution found in the air in Mysore, the government, as well as the general population on an individual level, could all take many steps to make the air quality much safer within the city. These include a switch away from excessive use of vehicles and to resort to using public transport, as well as walking and cycling when possible, although of note is that in a highly polluted city, exposing oneself to pollution via walking near roads or cycling also carries with it a number of health risks, showing the double edged nature of solving air pollution issues in certain cities.

Other prominent ones that can be implemented include initiatives such as the introduction of emission caps on both vehicles and factories. Old and pollution spewing vehicles can be removed from the road, as well as fines and charges, or the threat of closure being imposed on certain factories or other similar facilities if they break what can be considered the safe level of pollutive output.

What are some health issues related to breathing polluted air in Mysore?

Some health issues that one might be subject to when exposed to higher levels of pollution in Mysore would be ones such as nausea, vomiting, irritation to the eyes and ears, as well as aggravation of the skin as well as preexisting health conditions such as asthma. A number of respiratory ailments may also present themselves, with ones such as pneumonia, bronchitis and emphysema being the most common. Others include heightened rates of cancer, ischemic heart disease, as well as damage to the liver, kidneys and even reproductive system due to the debilitating effects that pollution can have on the human body.