WHO air pollution report: How south Indian cities sit pretty ?

No south Indian city figured in the just- released global air pollution report of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO report said 14 of world's 15 most polluted cities were in India which includes Delhi, Kanpur and Varanasi.

Asked what helped in tackling pollution, a pollution control official in Tamil Nadu said efforts aimed at improvisation were prioritised always and such measures bore fruit.

An "action plan" is being readied now to tackle air pollution better, he said.

Measures being planned to tackle air pollution better include putting in place advanced gadgets in industrial premises to enable real time monitoring, he told PTI.

Such monitoring will help more in checking emissions which lead to air pollution.

To a question on some real time air pollution (PM 2.5) data for Chennai pointing to pollution comparable to cities like Varanasi (PM 2.5/ 151/WHO data), he said it was "dynamic, and keeps changing all the time."
Pollution levels in major cities of Tamil Nadu like Chennai were within the permissible range in respect of parameters inlcuding the PM 2.5 or PM 10, the official said adding "it is much better when compared with other cities like New Delhi."
Declining to accept the "within the permissible range," data of the State pollution control board, noted environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman alleged that "Tamil Nadu is filled with industrial toxic hotspots."
He demanded a complete 'overhaul' of TN Pollution Control Board to see tangible results to address pollution issues in the "real sense of the word."
Environmentalist Leo Saldanha batted for more regulation by pollution control authorities, he alleged,"environment regulation has been so badly affected in the last two-three years.. nobody is even bothered to check water, air or other form of pollution."