an article on vehicular pollution in about 150 words
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Vehicular pollution has grown at an alarming rate due to growing urbanisation in India. The air pollution from vehicles in urban areas, particularly in big cities, has become a serious problem. The pollution from vehicles has begun to tell through symptoms like cough, headache, nausea, irritation of eyes, various bronchial and visibility problems.
The main pollutants emitted from the automobiles are hydrocarbons, lead/benzene, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The main cause of vehicular pollution is the rapidly growing number of vehicles.
The other factors of vehicular pollution in the urban areas are 2-stroke engines, poor fuel quality, old vehicles, inadequate maintenance, congested traffic, poor road condition and old automotive technologies and traffic management system.
In India, the number of vehicles increased from 0.3 million in 1951 to 58.3 million in 2001-02. About half the vehicles are concentrated in 39 metropolitan cities (cities with population of over one million). The two wheelers are the major contributors of vehicular air pollution followed by four-wheeler (e.g., car, jeep, taxi etc.), trucks and buses in decreasing order of magnitude.
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Delhi is a typical example of air pollution by vehicles. Table 9.6 shows that Delhi’s vehicular population increased from an insignificant of 2.17 lakh in 1971 to 44 lakh in 2004. Over 2.5 lakh vehicles were registered in Delhi in 2004—more than twice the number registered in 2003. Of the total vehicular population in Delhi in 2004, 13.37 lakh were four wheelers, 27.8 lakh two wheelers, more than 80 thousand autorickshaws, 18.4 thousand taxies, 26.9 thousand buses and 1.55 lakh goods vehicles. This figure is likely to rise to 60 lakh in 2011.
Delhi has more vehicles than Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai put together. Unfortunately, number of vehicles in Delhi outpaces the road length. Delhi’s total road length was 8,380 km in 1971 which increased to 25,948 km in 2004. Thus whereas the road length increase only by three times, the number of vehicles increased by over twenty times.
Road length per vehicle had gone down from 0.69 km in 1988 to 0.23 km in 2004. This leads to congestion of roads and mismanagement of traffic. Consequently, the average travel time increases by at least 12-15 minutes for a journey of about 15 km.
Table 9.6 Number of Vehicles and Road Length in Delhi:
Year Vehicles
(Lakhs)
Road length (Kilometres)
1971 2.17 8,380
1981 5.61 15,490
1991 19.23 22,487
1996 27.93 25,948
2001 35.89 25,948
2004 44.00 25,948
2011 60,00 27,000
TABLE 9.7 Sources of Air Pollution in Delhi (in percentages):
Year Vehicles Industry (including thermal power plants) Domestic
1970-71 23 56 21
1^80-81 42 40 18
1990-91 64 29 7
2000-01 72 20 8
Every day, harmful gases are being emitted by various industries, cars, and other sources. Due to the gasses being produced it leads to the depletion of the ozone layer, it protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. The primary necessity for humans nowadays is a vehicle in any form such as a scooter, bike, car and so forth. Be it rural or urban area it has become the status symbol and the need.
The biggest consumer of automobiles and motor vehicles in India with a population of 125 million people. Such vehicles are either operated by diesel or petrol and these gases when emitted from the vehicles causes depletion in the air quality. One of the major reasons for global warming is the increasing use of vehicles and that we need to pay quick attention to it. About 80-90% pollution is caused by vehicles.