Bengaluru’s Central Silk Board junction, infamous for chronic traffic congestion, is now facing a worsening environmental concern—hazardous air quality. Despite the completion of a long-awaited double-decker flyover designed to decongest traffic, the air pollution levels in the vicinity have remained disturbingly high, signalling deeper urban challenges beyond road infrastructure.
Recent air quality monitoring data released by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) show that the Air Quality Index (AQI) at Silk Board has consistently hovered in the moderate to poor range. On 22 May 2025, AQI levels reached 192, bordering on the “poor” category. While Indian norms still classify this under moderate, several international frameworks, including those of the US, Japan, and the EU, categorise AQI readings above 150 as unhealthy. The area has previously witnessed even higher AQI levels, with 25 October 2024 recording a severe AQI of 283. Although Bengaluru does not yet rival the pollution levels of Delhi or Gurugram, the city’s Silk Board region has reported AQIs consistently above 100 for most of 2025, raising alarms among public health professionals and environmental researchers.
According to pollution control officials, vehicle emissions remain the primary culprit. The absence of strict controls on older vehicles, especially non-BS-6 compliant ones, continues to be a pressing concern. Experts have also drawn attention to the rapid pace of real estate development in adjacent areas such as HSR Layout, attributing significant PM10 emissions to ongoing construction. PM10 particles—coarser particulate matter that arises from dust, industrial combustion, and vehicular emissions—are the dominant pollutant at Silk Board. While PM2.5 is considered more dangerous due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, health professionals note that long-term exposure to PM10 also presents serious risks, especially to those with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
In May alone, the Silk Board area registered an average PM10 concentration of 109.3 μg/m³, with peaks reaching 238.1 μg/m³—far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended 24-hour limit of 45 μg/m³. Despite the flyover’s operational status, the congestion and emissions have persisted, indicating a lack of complementary interventions such as vehicle electrification, better enforcement of construction norms, and a sustainable urban mobility plan. Bengaluru currently operates only 11 continuous air quality monitoring stations, limiting granular assessment of pollution hotspots across its rapidly urbanising zones. With Metro construction ongoing and vehicle registrations surging, experts caution that mitigation will require policy reforms beyond just road expansions.
Urban environmentalists are urging the state government to take a comprehensive approach, which includes phasing out ageing vehicles, incentivising public transport, enforcing dust control at construction sites, and expanding real-time air monitoring networks. The persistence of air pollution at Silk Board, despite new flyovers, underscores the growing need for Bengaluru to reimagine its urban planning through an environmental lens. Without such a shift, the city risks trading traffic congestion for a long-term public health crisis.
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