A report published by a city NGO has highlighted the need to step up implementation of air quality improvement proposals — under the National Clean Air Programme — in six smart cities in the state.
The report by Parisar compares ground-level data to plans laid out in the original smart city proposals submitted by Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Thane, and Solapur.
It highlights a lack of information and a lack of action taken on data collected from air quality monitoring stations in various parts of these cities. Pune has 50 monitoring stations that relay data to a command and control centre, but how that data is used is unclear, the report stated. Solapur doesn’t have a control centre, while Thane does not have an approved air quality improvement plan, stated the report authored by Sharmila Deo and Shweta Vernekar.
The report also highlighted a lack of clean and efficient public transport system. In Pune, the report stated that PMC’s own street design guidelines were not being followed. “There are obstructions on cycle paths and footpaths and the authorities are still planning flyovers, which encourage people use private vehicles. PMC should buy more buses, including e-buses, and bolster public transport,” Parisar’s convener Sujit Patwardhan said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Shiladitya Pandit
Quelle/Source: The Times of India, 30.08.2020
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