Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi says high black carbon levels in Guwahati ‘worrying trend'

Digital Desk: Assam Congress MP from Nagaon, Pradyut Bordoloi, has professed that Guwahati's high black carbon levels constitute a "worrying trend."

"There is a really concerning trend of increasing black carbon levels in Guwahati," Bordoloi stated. 

Pradyut Bordoloi, the Assam legislator, expressed worry about severe air pollution in Guwahati and said he would bring the issue up in Parliament.

Bordoloi said that he had sent a notice under Rule 377 for talks on the matter during the previous session of Parliament as well. 

His notice, however, received no answer. 

"I submitted a notice under Rule 377 in the previous session but did not receive a response." "I intend to raise it further in subsequent sessions," he remarked. 

In his prior notification, the Assam MP noted, "Black carbon is a big short-term contributor to global warming, with warming effects second only to carbon dioxide."

 “Recent studies have shown that increasing black carbon emissions in Northeast India has led to a decrease in low-intensity rainfall in the pre-monsoon season and a rise in severe rains”, he added. 

Independent studies has also found a link between high levels of black carbon pollution in Guwahati and glacier melt.

"Black carbon fingerprints, created from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass, and biofuels, have been found from automobile emissions, brick kilns, tea gardens, and agricultural and residential biomass burning in the Brahmaputra river basin region." 

"Given the dual influence of black carbon on climate change and air pollution, immediate and coordinated initiatives to prevent and offset these emissions are required."

“This must include improved and regular monitoring of emissions as well as steps to ensure effective implementation of clean cooking and transport fuel schemes such as enhancing fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, phasing out diesel vehicles and accelerating the use of LPG for cooking.”