Urban air pollution and climate are closely connected due to shared generating processes (e.g.

, combustion) for
emissions of the driving gases and aerosols. They are also connected because the atmospheric lifecycles of common
air pollutants such as CO, NOx and VOCs, and of the climatically important methane gas (CH4) and sulfate aerosols,
both involve the fast photochemistry of the hydroxyl free radical (OH). Thus policies designed to address air pollution
may impact climate and vice versaSolid waste management processes and climate change

operate at similar timescales, as such; there is a need to understand what the potential
climate change impacts may be on waste management. The scope of this study was
limited only to municipal and household waste
The Earths atmosphere contains many types
Climate change could result in
of gases, including those known as
changes in temperatures, cloud
greenhouse gases which hold in the suns
warmth. Scientists call this naturally occurring
cover, rainfall patterns, wind
the greenhouse effect.
speeds, and storms: all factors that phenomenon
Greenhouse gases help regulate global
could impact future waste
temperatures. Certain human activities such as
burning fossil fuels and dumping solid waste,
management facilities
however, produce additional greenhouse gases
development and operation. The and upset the natural balance by raising global
time scales for climate change and temperatures. Global temperature has risen by
about 0.60C over the last 100 years and 1998
waste management are similar.
was the single warmest year in the 142 year
For instance, landfill sites can be global instrumental record (Hulme et al,
2002). Climate change could have an impact
operational for decades and still on the waste management industry, and given
the operational time frame for many waste
remain active for decades
sites, there is a need to examine
following their closure. There is, management
whether the issues that arise are of such
significance that policy or op
therefore, a need to consider
How Solid Waste Impacts Climate Change
potential changes in waste
management over significant
Even before a material or product becomes a
solid waste, it goes through a long cycle that
timescales and respond
involves removing and processing raw
appropriately.
materials, manufacturing the product,
transporting the materials and products to
markets, and using energy to transform the product. Each of these activities has the potential to generate
greenhouse gas emissions through one or more of the following means:
a. Energy Consumption: Extracting and processing raw materials, manufacturing products, and transporting
materials and products to markets all generate greenhouse gas emissions by consuming energy from fossil
fuels.
b. Methane Emissions: When organic waste decomposes in landfills and dumps, it generates methane, a
greenhouse gas.

c. Carbon Storage: Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air and store it in wood through
carbon sequestration. Waste prevention and recycling of wood and paper products allow more trees to remain
standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the air, which helps minimize
climate change impacts.
Different wastes and waste management activities have varying impacts on energy
consumption, methane emissions, and carbon storage. For example, recycling reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by preventing methane emissions from landfills or open
dumps and by preventing the consumption of energy for extracting impacts of
construction on climate change
The cement sector alone accounts for 5% of global man-made CO2 emissions.
Highest impact is the mining/manufacture of materials and chemicals.
Transport of heavy materials such as cement is energy-intensive, but most building
materials
tend to be sourced from close-by facilities.
The chemical processes and use of fuel/electricity account for the major portion of the
sectors CO2 emissions.
On-site construction of buildings is relatively low-impact, mainly energy use;
influenced by
choice of building materials, construction techniques, and modes/ distances of
transportation.
The maintenance of buildings is higher impact due to significant energy use (esp.
heating,
lighting); New building regulations impact on requirements for maintenance and demolitionnd processing
raChennai is not on this list, and that might be a very good thing. Here are some huge demerits
to high-rises.

Urban wind tunnel

Rise in the elevation of a building increases the distance of the wind shadow and minimises the
air flow at the street level behind the building. Near high-rise buildings, the local wind speed is
high even in summer. In addition, high-rise buildings tend to create a turbulent flow of the
gradient wind as a result of increasing the roughness of the boundary layer surface.
Increased air pollution
In summers, local wind speeds near skyscrapers are very high and troublesome. The ventilation
conditions in urban spaces and major streets with high vehicular traffic have significant impact
on the concentration of air pollutants at the street level. The high velocity and turbulent wind at
the street level results in the mixing of the highly polluted low-level air with cleaner air flowing
above the urban canopy.

Effect on urban radiation

High-rise buildings absorb direct and reflected solar radiation of the surrounding low-rise
buildings and convert it into heat via convection of long wave radiation. However, when
buildings are of different heights, the walls of the higher buildings absorb part of the reflected
and emitted radiation and block a portion of the sky, resulting in reduced solar exposure and
long-wave emission from the roofs of the lower buildings.
Increased urban temperature
The size and density of built-up areas affect urban temperatures. In the congested centres of
large cities, temperature levels are generally higher than in the suburbs. The peaks in
temperature occur during clear and still-air nights, also called Urban Heat Island. Excessive
opacity of high-rise buildings in city centres results in concentrated heat generation by highdensity land use (traffic, lighting, heat exhaust) and contributes to the creation of urban heat
islands.
Effect on night-time cooling
Nocturnal radiation is a major climatic factor that reduces atmospheric heat in urban areas
located in hot, dry regions. Nocturnal radiation decreases as the density and height of built-up
urban masses increases. High-rise buildings store solar energy during the day and release it
slowly into low-speed local wind, especially at night. The vertical distance between cool winds
above building roofs and the ground surface is long, and this results in decreased radiant cooling
during the nights.
Low-rise buildings that match tree heights of 12-15 metres, on the other hand, penetrate nighttime ventilated cooling at the ground level and also store cool radiation through built-up urban
areas.
Cost factor
Tall buildings are colder in winter and hotter in summer than regular buildings and, therefore,
require more heating and more cooling. This is particularly true of modern glass towers.
Thus, a lot of energy is required to keep these high rises functioning. Exterior cleaning and
maintenance of high-rise buildings can be very costly and dangerous.
High-rise buildings are costlier and take longer to build, and impose a heavy load on civic
infrastructure. The average construction cost per square foot is 20-25 per cent higher if the
building has more than 12 floors.
Keywords: Skyscrapers, high-rise buildings, civic infrastructure, night-time
cooling, temperature rise, air pollution, wind tunnel

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Chennai faces a unique pollution challenge pollution

levels that appear to be low or moderate, but are not so.
Actual impacts can be much more severe says CSE analysis

Unlike other mega cities, Chennai represents a different pollution challenge.

Its annual average pollution levels -- though lower than other mega cities -- still
vary between moderate to critical. Without the sea breeze in this coastal city,
the peaks could have been worse

Analysis by CSE exposes steady and rapid increase in pollution levels, high
local impacts and high traces of toxics making its air dangerous to breathe

Despite having better multi-modal public transport compared to many other

mega cities, motorization rate is high. If two-wheelers are added then its
personal motorization rate exceeds that of Western cities

CSEs assessment shows how car-centric infrastructure flyovers, signal-free

roads, foot overbridges are converting zero emissions walk trips to long
motorized trips adding enormously to pollution

Over the last two decades, share of bus and train ridership has dropped
drastically. The share of personal vehicle trips has increased

Chennai needs to quickly scale up public transport, integrated multi-modal

transport options, car restraint policies and walking for clean air

w materials. What Is the Relationship Between

Climate Change and Solid Waste?
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT:
The Earths atmosphere contains many types of gases,
including those known as greenhouse gases, which
hold in the suns warmth (see text box). Scientists call
this naturally occurring phenomenon the greenhouse
effect. Greenhouse gases help regulate global

temperatures. Certain human activities such as

burning fossil fuels and dumping solid waste,
however, produce additional greenhouse gases and
upset the natural balance by raising global
temperatures.
WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS?
Greenhouse gas emissions are slowly changing the
Earths climate. The Earth has already become slightly
warmer in the past 100 years and will continue to
become warmer. This could cause serious human
health and environmental consequences because a
warmer climate may cause more frequent and severe
heat waves, damage agriculture, and cause droughts
in some places and floods in others.
HOW DOES SOLID WASTE IMPACT CLIMATE
CHANGE?
Even before a material or product becomes solid
waste, it goes through a long cycle that involves
removing and processing raw materials,
manufacturing the product, transporting the materials
and products to markets, and using energy to operate
the product. Each of these activities has the potential
to generate greenhouse gas emissions through one or
more of the following means:
Energy consumption. Extracting and processing
raw materials, manufacturing products, and
transporting materials and products to markets all
generate greenhouse gas emissions by consuming
energy from fossil fuels.
Methane emissions. When organic waste

decomposes in landfills, it generates methane, a

greenhouse gas.
Carbon storage. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a
greenhouse gas, from the air and store it in wood
through carbon sequestration. Waste prevention
and recycling of wood and paper products allow
more trees to remain standing in the forest, where
they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from
the air, which helps minimize climate change
impacts.
Different wastes and waste management activities
have varying impacts on energy consumption,
methane emissions, and carbon storage. For example,
recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions by
preventing methane emissions from landfills or open
dumps and by preventing the consumption of energy
for extracting and processing raw materials.
Communities that are looking for ways to help
prevent climate change can start by implementing an
integrated solid waste management program.
GREENHOUSE GASES:
Some greenhouse gasessuch as water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and
ozoneoccur naturally in the atmosphere, while
others result from human activities.
Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere
when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and
coal), and wood and wood products are burned.
Methane is emitted during the production and
transport of coal, natural gas, and oil; the
decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid

waste landfills; and by livestock. Nitrous oxide is

emitted during agricultural and industrial
activities, as well as during the combustion of solid
waste and fossil fuels.
Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to trap
heat in the atmosphere. Methane traps over 21
times more heat than carbon dioxide, and nitrous
oxide absorbs 310 times more than carbon dioxide.
The higher the heat trapping potential of the gas,
the greater the impact on climate change. Efforts
to decrease emissions of these gases help reduce
climate change impacts. WHAT ARE GREENHOUSE GASES?
Some greenhouse gasessuch as water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and
ozoneoccur naturally in the atmosphere, while
others result from human activities.
Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere
when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and
coal), and wood and wood products are burned.
Methane is emitted during the production and
transport of coal, natural gas, and oil; the
decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid
waste landfills; and by livestock. Nitrous oxide is
emitted during agricultural and industrial
activities, as well as during the combustion of solid
waste and fossil fuels.
Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to trap
heat in the atmosphere. Methane traps over 21
times more heat than carbon dioxide, and nitrous
oxide absorbs 310 times more than carbon dioxide.
The higher the heat trapping potential of the gas,

the greater the impact on climate change. Efforts

Garbage
Introduction: The disposal and treatment of waste can produce
emissions of several greenhouse gases (GHGs), which contribute
to global climate change. Global temperature has risen by about
0.60C over the last 100 years. Each greenhouse gas differs in its
ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. Methane traps over 21
times more heat than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide absorbs
310 times more than carbon dioxide. The higher the heat trapping
potential of the gas, the greater the impact on climate change.
Efforts to decrease emissions of these gases help reduce climate
change impacts.
The most significant GHG gas produced from waste is methane. It
is released during the breakdown of organic matter in landfills.
Other forms of waste disposal also produce GHGs but these are
mainly in the form of carbon dioxide (a less powerful GHG). Even
the recycling of waste produces some emissions (although these
are offset by the reduction in fossil fuels that would be required to
obtain new raw materials). Waste prevention and recycling help
address global climate change by decreasing the amount of
greenhouse gas emissions and saving energy (Environmental
Protection Agency.
The beauty of T.Nagar lies in the restoration to its past glory. The
stunning growth of this part of Chennai city is stunted only by the
ever increasing mounds of garbage menace. This threat is one
which needs the utmost attention before we compromise its illeffects and settle down to continue with no awareness to our bad
habits. It is the problem of the society and the attitude of the
present inhabitants. The broad objectives are to reduce the
amount of garbage in T.Nagar.
Objectives: To minimize the global warming due to methane emission from
solid waste by:

1.Making people aware of segregation, compost, reuse and

recycle.
2.Minimising and avoiding Waste production wherever possible.
3.Ensuring safe disposal of waste.
Thereby, reducing the amount of garbage reaching the dumpyard
resulting in reduced methane emission.
Statement: Climate change could result in changes in
temperatures, cloud cover, rainfall patterns, wind speeds, and
storms: all factors that could impact future waste management
facilities development and operation. The time scales for climate
change and waste management are similar. For instance, landfill
sites can be operational for decades and still remain active for
decades following their closure. There is, therefore, a need to
consider potential changes in waste management over significant
timescales and respond appropriately.
Methodology
1.Recycling
Recycling is one of the most well know method of managing
waste. It is not expensive and can be easily done by us. If we
carry out recycling, we will save a lot of energy, resources and
thereby reduce pollution. We can also save money if we recycle.
We can recycle papers, glass, aluminum and plastics. If we want
to reduce the volume of our waste material, the best way to do so
would be to recycle. If we recycle, we can eliminate batteries,
tires and asphalt from our waste material and this prevents them
from ending up in the landfills and incinerator. The municipality of
almost all cities encourages their citizens to take up recycling. Be
a responsible citizen and reduce our waste by recycling.
2. Composting
This is a natural process that is completely free of any hazardous
by-products. This process involves breaking down the materials
into organic compounds that can be used as manure. We can

carry out composting in our own backyard. We can use the leaves,
grass, twigs and add vegetable and fruit peels and skins. We can
use khambha for composting. After a few days, you will see that
the matter has decomposed. We can use this compost, which is
rich in nutrients, to improve the soil in our garden.
3. Landfills
Waste management through the use of landfills involves the use
of a large area. This place is dug open and filled with the waste.
The area is then covered up with soil. Landfills are not safe
because they give off gases like methane, which are highly
hazardous. We should not carry out waste management through
landfills if we cannot ensure proper safety means. The landfill
should be properly lined and the waste should not come in
contact with the adjoining areas.
Hypothesis
As the cities are growing in size and problems seen as the
generation of plastic waste, various municipal waste treatment
and disposal methods are now being used to try resolving these
problems. Garbage generation in household can be recycled and
reused to prevent creation of waste at sources and reducing
amount of waste thrown into the community dustbins. So
Effective waste management reduces landfill implications.
Effective waste management saves money for councils.
Effective waste management creates a cleaner environment.
Effective waste management results in reduced global warming.

T.NAGAR HAS LOST ITS BEAUTY

Unlike other polluting agents, garbage is with its physical form is
very visual and ugly. This stinking refuse occupies space. It starts
as a small heap at our backyard, grows to a heap at street end
and becomes a dump, then mound and finally a mountain. Over a
period these mound eat away the living area.
We are studying the garbage problem of T.Nagar in the past 5
years from 2009-2014 and making plans to control so as to
reduce the methane emission.

T.Nagar has lost its beauty as it can literally be seen in the above
picture. This picture is taken from the tremendous shopping area,
the Ranganathan Street. This is because of over-population and
over-exploitation of natural & artificial resources. People have
thrown their garbage on the street which not-at-all a human
activity.

Increase Of Garbage From 2009-2014

Tons per Day

140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Year
No.Of Tons

This shows an increase in garbage from 90 tons to 120 tons per

day from 2009 to 2014. We have taken up this project to reduce
the amount of garbage.
We have surveyed residents of T.Nagar by the following
questionnaire.

Questionnaire to Residents
Name:
Age:
Designation:
1. What do you normally do with organic waste materials from your kitchen? For
example, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells etc.
Place in regular garbage without segregating / Backyard composter/ dont
know/Unsure
Other (specify): ____________________________________________________________________
2. If you have a backyard composter do you use it all year round?
Yes /No/ dont know/Unsure /Not applicable
3. What do you normally do with the grass clippings from your lawn?
Place in regular garbage /dig into garden Backyard composter
Leave on lawn / mulch/ dont know/unsure /Lawn service takes away
Other (specify): ____________________________________________________________________
4. And what about leaves? How do you normally dispose of leaves that fall on
your property?
Place in regular garbage/ Dig into garden Backyard composter
Leave on lawn / mulch Bring to Landfill compost area
Please Tick:Method
household
garbage
storage

of

Closed container

Open
container

Plastic
bags

Other (pile in the yard)

5. How are the garbage disposed in houses?

i) Keep it in front of the flat
ii) Disposed in the main dust-bin

6. How often the corporation people remove the garbage from the dust-bin?
i) Once-Daily

ii). Once in 2 days

For the following statements, please tell me

whether you agree, disagree, or you have no
opinion.

No.

Agree Disagre
e

No
opinion

1.I play an important role in the management of

garbage in my community.
2.Environmental education should be taught in
schools.
3.I dont care that burning garbage can be bad
for my health and the health of others.
4. People throw garbage on the streets and in the
drains and gullies because they have no other
means of getting rid of (disposing of) their
garbage.
5.The Local Government is not doing enough to fix
the garbage problem.
6.Correct garbage management should be taught
in schools.
7.Other personal issues (like crime,
unemployment, and cost of living) are more
important to me than a garbage-free community.
8.Regular collection of garbage is the only solution
to the garbage problem.
9.Picking up garbage around my community is my
responsibility as an T.Nagar resident.
10.Public education about proper garbage
management is one way to fix the garbage crisis.
To the following questions, please answer with either:
yes, no, or dont know.
1. Have you ever heard about composting?
2. Have you ever heard about recycling?
3. If a recycling program was set up, that collected materials like
plastic, paper, metals, etc, would you
be willing to separate these into separate bags for collection
purposes?

Yes

No

Dont
Know

4. Would you be willing to pay for pickup of these recycling materials

from your home?
5. Would you be willing to participate in a program to compost food
and yard waste?
6. If you were paid for every plastic bottle that you returned to the
grocery store, would you participate
in a program to return the plastic bottles?
7. Would you be willing to purchase eco-friendly products?
8. Would you like more information about how and what types of
garbage you can compost, reuse,
and recycle in order to reduce the amount of garbage that you need to
get rid of?
Any suggestion to reduce the garbage in T.Nagar?

From the survey we got the following analysis report

Analysis Report
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

94%

78%

94%

17%

No.of people

No.Of People

From the above analysis we infer that 17% of the residents are
segregating garbage, 94% are aware of composting, 78% are
willing to participate in Environmental Programs and 94% are
willing to use eco-friendly products. Even though 94% of the
residents are aware of composting, only 17% of the residents are

segregating them due to the laziness and careless attitude of the

people.
The Government should make it mandatory by:
1. Providing bins to each house to segregate biodegradable and
non- biodegradable waste.
2. Constructing the composting pit in every flats.
3. Providing khambha pots to every house for composting.
4. Making arrangements to collect the non-biodegradable waste
to recycle.
5. Compelling everyone to reuse the waste.
Resulting in REDUCED WASTE- REDUCED METHANE EMISSION
The Eco-Club in our school has launched Kambha Pots to convert
biodegradable waste from our canteen into high quality compost.
The Eco-Club also donate saplings, spread awareness of reducing
pollution, preserving energy and creating wealth from waste.
On our part, we educated people the values of compost and the
method of composting by giving them pamphlets.

Definition for Terms

Segregation: Waste segregation is the process of dividing garbage and waste
products in an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle material reuse and recycle
materials.
Waste disposal: Waste disposal is the process of collecting and removing waste
and relocating it to a place where it will sit or be recycled.
Reuse: To reuse is to use an item again after it has been used. This includes
conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and newlife reuse where it is used for a different function.
Reduce: We can reduce the amount of waste we create by choosing what rubbish
we throw away. This can be easy and fun.

Recycling: Recycling is a process to change waste materials into new products to

prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw
materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution (from
landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal.
Composting: Composting is the process when plants and animal decompose and
turn into soil. For anyone with a garden a compost bin, or compost heap, is an
excellent way to keep kitchen and garden scraps out of landfill where they
decompose anaerobically (that is, without air), so producing methane, a greenhouse
gas 20 times more dangerous that carbon dioxide.
Bio-degradable: Biodegradable matter is generally organic material such as plant
and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or
artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to
use by microorganisms.
Non-biodegradable: Non-biodegradable waste is a type of waste that cannot be
broken down into its base compounds by micro-organisms, air, moisture or soil in a
reasonable amount of time. Non-biodegradable waste is an environmental concern,
as it threatens to overwhelm landfills and create disposal problems.

GREENHOUSE GASES:
Some greenhouse gasessuch as water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, and ozoneoccur naturally in the
atmosphere, while others result from human activities.
Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste,
fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood
products are burned.
Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal,
natural gas, and oil; the decomposition of organic wastes in
municipal solid waste landfills; and by livestock.
Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial
activities, as well as during the combustion of solid waste and
fossil fuels.

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT:

The Earths atmosphere contains many types of gases, including
those known as greenhouse gases, which hold in the suns
warmth. Scientists call this naturally occurring phenomenon the
greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases help regulate global
temperatures. Certain human activities such as burning fossil
fuels and dumping solid waste, however, produce additional
greenhouse gases and upset the natural balance by raising global
temperatures.
Conclusion: We can achieve the greatest climate benefit through:
1. Improved materials management by segregating the waste into
biodegradable and non-biodegradable items.
2. Composting the biodegradable wastes to manure which
reduces the dumping leading to reduced methane emission.
3. Reusing the materials.
4. Recycling of most materials results in the next best GHG
savings.
Thus we can conclude that, globally, waste prevention
and resource recovery represent the key activities by which the
waste sector can significantly contribute to climate change
mitigation.

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CSE findings the key highlights

Annual average levels of particulates increasing rapidly: Though lower than other
mega cities of India, a rapid escalation in levels has been witnessed: PM10 levels have

increased from 32 microgramme per cu m in 2007 to 94 microgramme per cu m in 2011 (a

193 per cent jump) increasing at 29 per cent a year.
Annual average levels of nitrogen dioxide increasing at a more rapid rate than
PM10: Between 2007 and 2011, NO2 levels rose from 9 microgramme per cu m to 24
microgramme per cu m -- an increase of 166 per cent, at 60 per cent a year. An official
source apportionment study in Chennai carried out by IIT Madras under the aegis of the
environment ministry attributes 63 per cent of nitrogen oxides to vehicles.
in the country, they are much above WHO guidelines. Global assessments now available
from the Global Burden of Disease estimates show that the most of the health effects occur
at lower levels. Chennai has several local pollution hotspots, and road side exposures are
also high. Annual averages do not help address the risks. Air quality monitoring would need
to address these challenges and issue health advisories to people. There is therefore
absolutely no reason to think that the risk in southern cities like Chennai is lower than other
cities. In fact, a health study released by the Health Effects Institute in Chennai and Delhi in
2011 shows that in Chennai, there is a 0.4 per cent increase in risk per 10-g/m3 increase
in PM10 concentration. In Delhi, it is 0.15 per cent thus Chennai indicates a higher impact.
Vehicles are a special problem
High exposure to vehicular fumes: Vehicles pose a special challenge. In terms of actual
exposure, people are more vulnerable to vehicular fumes while traveling and in close
proximity to roads. Pollution concentration in our breath is 3-4 times higher than the ambient
air concentration. In densely-populated cities, more than 50-60 per cent of the population
lives or works near the roadside where levels are much higher. This is very serious in low
income neighbourhoods located close to roads. Road users, public transport users, walkers
and cyclists are the most exposed groups they are also the urban majority.
Vehicles contribute hugely to air pollution: Source apportionment studies carried out in
Chennai by Madras IIT under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment and Forests show
vehicles contribute 14 per cent of particulate matter and 68 per cent of nitrogen oxides.
Some other studies show that 35 per cent of PM2.5 in Chennai comes from vehicles -- tinier
the particles higher the share of vehicles.
Chennai records very high exposure to vehicular pollution: A study carried out by
scientists of University of Berkeley published in Environmental Science and Technology in
2012 shows that the exposure to vehicular fumes (in terms of population-weighted intake
fraction, or the grams of vehicle pollution inhaled per grams of vehicle pollution emitted) in

Chennai (72) is one of the highest in cities studied in India third after Kolkata (150) and
Delhi (100).
Mobility crisis
Explosive numbers: Vehicle population increased from less than 5 lakh in 1991 to more
than 30 lakh today. Cars are 20 per cent and two-wheelers 55 per cent of the total vehicular
fleet. Two-wheelers and cars are 31 per cent of the total travel trips and approximately 75
per cent of the total vehicular fleet on road. Two-wheelers saw a phenomenal growth from 4
lakh in 1991 to 21.6 lakh in 2009..Average vehicles per household have increased from 0.25
to 1.26. It is said about Chennai that if we add two-wheelers, then personal motorization in
the city is higher than that of Mexico City. An average of more than 800 new two-wheelers is
registered every day in the city.

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Chennai faces a unique pollution challenge pollution levels

that appear to be low or moderate, but are not so.
Actual impacts can be much more severe says CSE analysis

Unlike other mega cities, Chennai represents a different pollution challenge.

Its annual average pollution levels -- though lower than other mega cities -- still
vary between moderate to critical. Without the sea breeze in this coastal city,
the peaks could have been worse

Analysis by CSE exposes steady and rapid increase in pollution levels, high
local impacts and high traces of toxics making its air dangerous to breathe

Despite having better multi-modal public transport compared to many other

mega cities, motorization rate is high. If two-wheelers are added then its
personal motorization rate exceeds that of Western cities

CSEs assessment shows how car-centric infrastructure flyovers, signal-free

roads, foot overbridges are converting zero emissions walk trips to long
motorized trips adding enormously to pollution

Over the last two decades, share of bus and train ridership has dropped
drastically. The share of personal vehicle trips has increased

Chennai needs to quickly scale up public transport, integrated multi-modal

transport options, car restraint policies and walking for clean air

Chennai, August 6, 2013: According to this years Global Burden of Disease estimates,
one-fifth of deaths across the world occur from outdoor air pollution. Also, outdoor air
pollution is the fifth leading cause of deaths in India. These alarming pieces of information
have drawn everyones attention and forced experts to take stock of pollution trends in
Indias cities including Chennai.
A recent analysis of Chennais air quality, done by Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE), the New Delhi-based research and advocacy body, indicates that though Chennai
shows deceptively low to moderate pollution levels because of its location near the sea,
local impacts and exposure are high and the pollution levels are rising steadily, thereby
increasing public health risks.
CSE released the findings of its analysis here today at a stakeholder workshop conducted in
association with the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board. Bhure Lal, chairperson of the
Supreme Courts Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, and Anumita
Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE addressed the participants.
Said Roychowdhury: Chennais case is different from the trends observed in other highgrowth mega cities where overall ambient air pollution is very high. But this must not breed
complacency as detailed scanning of available pollution data as well as research studies
point to steady and rapid increase over time, high local impacts and high traces of toxics
making Chennais air dangerous to breathe. This demands more rigorous scrutiny of air
pollution profile and aggressive action in this rapidly motorizing city.
CSE findings the key highlights
Annual average levels of particulates increasing rapidly: Though lower than other
mega cities of India, a rapid escalation in levels has been witnessed: PM10 levels have
increased from 32 microgramme per cu m in 2007 to 94 microgramme per cu m in 2011 (a
193 per cent jump) increasing at 29 per cent a year.

 Annual average levels of nitrogen dioxide increasing at a more rapid rate than
PM10: Between 2007 and 2011, NO2 levels rose from 9 microgramme per cu m to 24
microgramme per cu m -- an increase of 166 per cent, at 60 per cent a year. An official
source apportionment study in Chennai carried out by IIT Madras under the aegis of the
environment ministry attributes 63 per cent of nitrogen oxides to vehicles.
Vehicles are a special problem
High exposure to vehicular fumes: Vehicles pose a special challenge. In terms of actual
exposure, people are more vulnerable to vehicular fumes while traveling and in close
proximity to roads. Pollution concentration in our breath is 3-4 times higher than the ambient
air concentration. In densely-populated cities, more than 50-60 per cent of the population
lives or works near the roadside where levels are much higher. This is very serious in low
income neighbourhoods located close to roads. Road users, public transport users, walkers
and cyclists are the most exposed groups they are also the urban majority.
Vehicles contribute hugely to air pollution: Source apportionment studies carried out in
Chennai by Madras IIT under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment and Forests show
vehicles contribute 14 per cent of particulate matter and 68 per cent of nitrogen oxides.
Some other studies show that 35 per cent of PM2.5 in Chennai comes from vehicles -- tinier
the particles higher the share of vehicles.
Chennai records very high exposure to vehicular pollution: A study carried out by
scientists of University of Berkeley published in Environmental Science and Technology in
2012 shows that the exposure to vehicular fumes (in terms of population-weighted intake
fraction, or the grams of vehicle pollution inhaled per grams of vehicle pollution emitted) in
Chennai (72) is one of the highest in cities studied in India third after Kolkata (150) and
Delhi (100).
Leapfrog technology to address diesel emission which is a class 1 carcinogen: India
is motorising at a level of technology and fuel quality that can compound health risks. There
are special concerns about growing use of poor quality diesel. The International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC), a wing of the WHO, has said that diesel engine exhaust can
certainly cause cancer, especially lung cancer in humans. This finding comes at a time
when India has failed to adopt a clean diesel road map, prevent use of under-taxed and
under-priced toxic diesel in cars.
Mobility crisis
Explosive numbers: Vehicle population increased from less than 5 lakh in 1991 to more
than 30 lakh today. Cars are 20 per cent and two-wheelers 55 per cent of the total vehicular

fleet. Two-wheelers and cars are 31 per cent of the total travel trips and approximately 75
per cent of the total vehicular fleet on road. Two-wheelers saw a phenomenal growth from 4
lakh in 1991 to 21.6 lakh in 2009..Average vehicles per household have increased from 0.25
to 1.26. It is said about Chennai that if we add two-wheelers, then personal motorization in
the city is higher than that of Mexico City. An average of more than 800 new two-wheelers is
registered every day in the city.
Learn from Delhis experience. Delhi has not been able to solve its problem of pollution and
congestion by building more roads and flyovers for cars. Delhi is most privileged to have
more than 21 per cent of its geographical area under road space. Delhi has built the
maximum roads and flyovers. Yet its roads are totally gridlocked. Peak hour traffic has even
slumped to below 15 km/hour. Cars and two-wheelers in Delhi occupy 90 per cent of the
road space but meet less than 20 per cent of the travel demand. More roads are not the
answer.
Sign of congestions: Level of congestion on arterials and other major roads has increased
eight-fold over the period 1984 to 2008. According to the estimates of the Chennai
Corporation there were 10 key arterial roads in 1993-94 with journey speed of 31-40
km/hour. Now only 3 roads have this kind of speed. Similarly, there were only 2 roads with
average peak hour journey speed of 11-20 km/hour then. Now the number of roads in the
class has increased to 20. Not only the vehicles taking over road but also the urban space
to meet the insatiable demand for parking.
Cars meet miniscule of travel demand yet car centric infrastructure getting priority: In
Chennai cars meet only 7 per cent of the daily travel demand and two-wheelers as much as
26 per cent. This means the majority are either using public transport or walking and
cycling. This will steadily undermine multi modal public transport which is a comparative
strength of Chennai. This requires immediate intervention to scale up, reinvent and redesign
the sustainable modes to protect the public transport, and walking share a rich legacy of
the city.
Erosion of public transport ridership: Over the last two decades share of bus, train and
bicycle ridership has dropped drastically in the city. The share of personal vehicles trips
have increased. Cycle rickshaws have totally vanished from the city, negatively impacting
the last mile connectivity. Significant increase noted in the share of two wheeler trips
followed by car trips.
CSE checked out the impact of car centric infrastructure on pollution and carbon emissions
in a few locations. This is diagnostic. Car centric infrastructure (signal free roads, flyovers

and foot over bridges etc) increases interferes with walking accessibility, increases travel
distances, encourage more motorized travel, and lead to more emissions. For example,
access to Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board is impeded due to signal free corridor
and a fly over. The detour increases the car distance from the study point from 600 meters
of walking access to close to 4km car ride. This makes one petrol car emit about 0.024
gram of extra PM and a diesel car about 0.24 gram of PM -- 10 times higher than petrol car.
At the same time the cars depending on the engine size emit heat trapping carbon dioxide
of about 504 to 592 grams of CO2 depending upon car engine capacity. Similar issues have
been noted in other locations including Alandur Road, Anna Salai to Guindy Metro station,
Travel distance- 4 Kms taken by car. The cumulative impact of the detour on the traffic
volume can be enormous. Such impacts must be assessed for traffic impact assessment of
any road engineering projects.
Make livable cities to cut toxic emissions
CSEs ongoing opinion survey in Chennai reveals that majority feels that air pollution is
worsening and vehicles are largely to be blamed for it. Action on air pollution has begun in
Chennai but needs to gather momentum. The first generation action includes successive
introduction of Bharat Stage I-II-III emissions standards, introduction of LPG in autos,
notification of lubricant standards for two-stroke engines, bypass heavy duty trucks during
day hours, strengthening of pollution control efforts in other sectors and so on.
The pollution challenge demands second generation action to keep ahead of the problem.
The city has the chance to plan its future growth differently and avoid the path of pollution,
congestion and energy guzzling. More road space is not the answer. It needs to make
maximum investment in redesigning the existing road space and travel pattern and achieve
compact urban form to provide the majority of the people affordable and efficient mode of
public transport that can be an alternative to personal vehicles. It is time to set new terms of
action. Soft options have all been exhausted.
Strengthen air quality, health monitoring and risk communication:Review the
monitoring network keeping in mind the growth in pollution, unique challenges of the city,
population exposed and newer challenges like ozone, PM2.5 and toxics. It should
strengthen its monitoring grid, deploy air quality forecasting modes, must regularly and
systematically monitor the health indicators. At the same time implement an air quality index
system and health advisory for informing people about ill effects of poor air quality.

Estimation of Automobile Emissions and Control Strategies in

India
K.S. Nesamani1

Institute of Transportation Studies

University of California Irvine
California 92612
E-mail: ksnesa55@hotmail.com
The estimated emissions from motor vehicles in Chennai in 2005
were 431, 119, 46, 6 and 4575 tons/days respectively for CO,
VOC, NOx, PM and CO2. It is observed from the results that air
quality in Chennai has degraded. The estimation revealed that
two and three-wheelers emitted about 64 percent of the total CO
emissions and heavy-duty vehicles accounted for more than 60
percent and 36 percent of the NOx and PM emissions respectively.
About 19 percent of total emissions were that of start emissions.