AIR POLLUTION DUE TO ROAD TRANSPORTATION IN INDIA: A REVIEW ON ASSESSMENT AND REDUCTION STRATEGIES

Rapid urbanization and growth of motor vehicles impose a serious effect on human life and its environment in recent years. Most of the cities of India are being suffered by extremely high level of urban air pollution particularly in the form of CO, SO2, NO2, PM (Particulate Matter) and RSPM (Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter). Transport sectors contributes a major share to environmental pollution (around 70%). A among these pollutants CO is the major pollutant coming from the transport sector, contributing 90% of total emission. Hydrocarbons are next to CO .It is indeed interesting to observe that the contribution of transport sector to the particulate pollution is as less as 3-5%, most of the SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) are generated due to re-suspension of dust out of which PM10 is the most prominent air pollutant. NOx is another important air quality indicator. All these situations indicate that air pollution becoming a major problem in Indian context and there is an essential need to built up healthy environment and increase level of research around the world. The present study is a review of an assessment model for emitted pollutants and effective strategies to reduce air pollution due to road transport.