Air quality in Tirupur

What is the air quality index of Tiruppur?

Tiruppur or Tirupur is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and is about 450 kilometres southwest of the state capital Chennai. In 2011 a census recorded the population as being 877,778, although it will most likely be a lot larger now in 2021.

At the beginning of 2021, Tiruppur was experiencing a period of air quality with a US AQI reading of 103 which was classified as “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”, according to the recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The recorded level of the pollutant PM2.5 was 36.2 µg/m³.

With relatively high levels of air pollution, it is advisable to close doors and windows to prevent the ingress of dirty air. Those of a sensitive disposition should avoid venturing outside until the air quality has improved and all groups of people should avoid outdoor exercise. Running an air purifier would be advantageous if one is available.

What is the main source of air pollution in Tiruppur?

As with most large cities, the main source of pollution is the emissions from vehicles, followed by emissions from industry. Because of its rural location, Tiruppur is affected by the burning of organic matter by the local farming community and also from the use of dried “Dung Cakes” which are often used as fuel in rural households.

In the knitwear industry, wet processing consumes a significant amount of thermal energy, which is generated by burning fuel in boilers or in thermic fluid heaters and there is a significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) which causes atmospheric pollution. In addition to carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) contribute to air pollution to a certain extent. In Tirupur, there are about 800 processing units, which consume both thermal energy and electrical power.

Thermal energy is generated in the form of steam in boilers, which burn fossil-fuels for getting the required heat. The total estimates of carbon dioxide pollution are about 0.8 million tonnes.

It was decided that the only way to reduce this level of pollution was to replace the old, inefficient boilers with modern ones which are fitted with the latest technology.

Why is air quality so poor in Tiruppur?

Tiruppur is also known as the knitwear capital of India, accounting for 90 per cent of India's cotton knitwear export. There are over 10,000 garment manufacturing industries operating in Tiruppur, employing over 600,000 workers.

As an industrial city, Tiruppur has had many problems over the years with regards to pollution of one sort or another. Several years ago there was some controversy over a discharge that badly polluted the local environment. The knitwear industry was to abide by a zero-liquid discharge law which badly affected the dyeing and bleaching sectors of the industry. The initial ruling was not conformed to which resulted in legal action and the total closure of those two offending sectors. The Tiruppur Exporters Association lobbied the government and informed them of potential losses of up to 11 billion rupees and the possible loss of 100,000 jobs.

A compromise was found and now Tiruppur is the first zero-liquid discharge cluster in all of India.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Tiruppur?

25 new air monitoring stations are to be installed across Tamil Nadu in order to get a complete picture as to the source of the polluted air. These stations will record key parameters like PM10, PM2.5, sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ammonia (NH₃), ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), benzene, toluene and xylene every 15 minutes. It is intended to display this information on electronic display boards at each location so residents are able to see the state of the air quality in real-time. The local authorities have entered into an agreement with local schools and universities to maintain the monitoring equipment in exchange for the free use of data. The data obtained will be useful for students and college professors for research purposes.

Residents need to be encouraged to use public transport instead of their own personal vehicles. Many of the cars and motorbikes in India are considerably older than in Europe and similar places. They lack the latest technology regarding filters and emission controls. Many of the vehicles using the city’s roads are older than 15 years and, as such, highly polluting.

Modern motorbikes pause their engines once forward motion is no longer detected as an idling engine produces a lot of air pollution.

The general public can be loathed to give up their independence by using public transport. They argue that it is not as convenient as having your own vehicle whenever and wherever it is wanted.

In order for electric vehicles to become more popular, large subsidies will need to be offered by way of encouragement to make the switch. However, the infrastructure also needs to be in place before people have the confidence to buy one. There needs to be plenty of charging stations located throughout the city before people will even consider switching over from gasoline.

Local logistics companies should be encouraged to change their vehicles to electric ones as should the public buses and trams etc.

What are the effects of breathing Tiruppur’s poor quality air?

Not everyone is affected in the same way because of air pollution. The risk of adverse effects depends on the current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to the polluted air. Even relatively young. Healthy people can succumb to the effects of polluted air.

High levels of air pollution can immediately cause health problems such as aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. The heart and lungs can easily become stressed as they work much harder to supply the desired amount of oxygen required by the body to function normally. Cells in the respiratory can soon become damaged.

Long-term exposure leads to accelerated ageing of the lungs which in turn leads to diminished lung capacity and loss of functionality. Diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer may develop because of air pollution which in turn can lead to a shorter lifespan.