Cycling to work has slowly caught on in the city, enabling people to get fit, beat the traffic and contribute to the environment; all in one shot.
However, with the pollution levels in the city on the rise, while these cyclists are doing their bit to reduce their carbon footprint, they are, perhaps, worse affected by the particulate matter in the air than motorists.
"Earlier, people were hesitant to take to cycling because they feared for their safety on the road," says cycling enthusiast Mayank Rungta who mostly uses his bicycle to get around. "Now, the top concern is pollution."
However, it turns out, he and many others in his circle are not too worried about vehicular emissions. "That's something we're used to," he says.
But he and a friend have observed that garbage burning in the city has increased over the past year. "People are burning garbage where you earlier used to find dumps," he explains. "And these have plastic and rubber, the fumes from which are toxic."
Pollution masks, he believes, could help, but they are rather uncomfortable. "Suppose you inhale something and want to cough, it becomes difficult," he adds. "So now I'm wondering if I should cycle around less and use my motorbike more."
IT consultant Badrinath Sastry took up cycling for the second time a decade ago. Like Mayank, he too is advocates this as a preferred mode of transport.
"Yes, traffic and pollution are concerns," he admits, but goes on to add that he has found some ways to beat these problems. "I plan the previous evening if I'm cycling to work," he says. So he ensures he leaves by 7 am and is well past the Central Business District before 7.30 am, when the roads become packed and the fumes rise.
"As I've cycled around Bengaluru for many years now, I also know the traffic-free
bylanes I can take on my regular route — Vijayanagar to Electronics City and back," says the avid cyclist.
Mechanical engineer Balakrishna U has been riding along city roads for about 11 years now. For him, traffic, not pollution, is a major concern. "Except when there's a huge bus, emitting a lot of black smoke right in front of you," he adds.
Yateesh Kumar, a technical consultant with an MNC in Electonics City, started commuting on his cycle in 2010. Over this year, however, his frequency of cycling to work has reduced to once or twice a week.
"Unless I can leave my house in Banashankari before 7 am, I take the bus or my own transport," he says. He cites dust from ongoing construction and civic work as one of the reasons for this.
"Several apartment and residential complexes have come up in Electronics City over the past few months and the number of vehicles on the roads has gone up by more than 4,000," he says. "When I wash the kerchief I tie around my face to protect myself against the fumes, there's a black residue. I'm sure this level of pollution is affecting my health."
Venkateswara Rao Navanasi, a data analyst, says the dust from the flyover work near Soul Space Arena, en route his office in Bellandur from his house in Ramamurthy Nagar, has been giving him "throat problems". "And the vehicular pollution adds to it," he says.
So he ordered a few masks last week which are yet to be delivered. "Even though I have an Activa, I continue riding my cycle, except when we go on family outings or grocery shopping," he adds. "Because trying to beat the traffic on a scooter is a pain."
However, the bumper-to-bumper traffic worsens the impact of the particulate matter on cyclists' health, he elaborates. "It goes on for kilometres on end and motorists don't turn off the engine, so you take in all that exhaust," he says.
Consulting physician Dr B V S Reddy reiterates this view. "Cyclists are at a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary problems than other groups because their respiratory activity is greater while in the traffic," he explains. "So their intake of the toxic fumes is also greater."
Masks would protect you to an extent as would helmets, he counsels. "Exhaust from diesel vehicles is the worst," he cautions.
![]( "tough ride Cyclists in the city are reconsidering their mode of commute due to the increasing levels of pollution.")
Cycling to work has slowly caught on in the city, enabling people to get fit, beat the traffic and contribute to the environment; all in one shot.
However, with the pollution levels in the city on the rise, while these cyclists are doing their bit to reduce their carbon footprint, they are, perhaps, worse affected by the particulate matter in the air than motorists.
"Earlier, people were hesitant to take to cycling because they feared for their safety on the road,” says cycling enthusiast Mayank Rungta who mostly uses his bicycle to get around. "Now, the top concern is pollution.”
However, it turns out, he and many others in his circle are not too worried about vehicular emissions. "That’s something we’re used to,” he says.
But he and a friend have observed that garbage burning in the city has increased over the past year. "People are burning garbage where you earlier used to find dumps,” he explains. "And these have plastic and rubber, the fumes from which are toxic.”
Pollution masks, he believes, could help, but they are rather uncomfortable. "Suppose you inhale something and want to cough, it becomes difficult,” he adds. "So now I’m wondering if I should cycle around less and use my motorbike more.”
IT consultant Badrinath Sastry took up cycling for the second time a decade ago. Like Mayank, he too is advocates this as a preferred mode of transport.
"Yes, traffic and pollution are concerns,” he admits, but goes on to add that he has found some ways to beat these problems. "I plan the previous evening if I’m cycling to work,” he says. So he ensures he leaves by 7 am and is well past the Central Business District before 7.30 am, when the roads become packed and the fumes rise.
"As I’ve cycled around Bengaluru for many years now, I also know the traffic-free
bylanes I can take on my regular route — Vijayanagar to Electronics City and back,” says the avid cyclist.
Mechanical engineer Balakrishna U has been riding along city roads for about 11 years now. For him, traffic, not pollution, is a major concern. "Except when there’s a huge bus, emitting a lot of black smoke right in front of you,” he adds.
Yateesh Kumar, a technical consultant with an MNC in Electonics City, started commuting on his cycle in 2010. Over this year, however, his frequency of cycling to work has reduced to once or twice a week.
"Unless I can leave my house in Banashankari before 7 am, I take the bus or my own transport,” he says. He cites dust from ongoing construction and civic work as one of the reasons for this.
"Several apartment and residential complexes have come up in Electronics City over the past few months and the number of vehicles on the roads has gone up by more than 4,000,” he says. "When I wash the kerchief I tie around my face to protect myself against the fumes, there’s a black residue. I’m sure this level of pollution is affecting my health.”
Venkateswara Rao Navanasi, a data analyst, says the dust from the flyover work near Soul Space Arena, en route his office in Bellandur from his house in Ramamurthy Nagar, has been giving him "throat problems”. "And the vehicular pollution adds to it,” he says.
So he ordered a few masks last week which are yet to be delivered. "Even though I have an Activa, I continue riding my cycle, except when we go on family outings or grocery shopping,” he adds. "Because trying to beat the traffic on a scooter is a pain.”
However, the bumper-to-bumper traffic worsens the impact of the particulate matter on cyclists’ health, he elaborates. "It goes on for kilometres on end and motorists don’t turn off the engine, so you take in all that exhaust,” he says.
Consulting physician Dr B V S Reddy reiterates this view. "Cyclists are at a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary problems than other groups because their respiratory activity is greater while in the traffic,” he explains. "So their intake of the toxic fumes is also greater.”
Masks would protect you to an extent as would helmets, he counsels. "Exhaust from diesel vehicles is the worst,” he cautions.
However, with the pollution levels in the city on the rise, while these cyclists are doing their bit to reduce their carbon footprint, they are, perhaps, worse affected by the particulate matter in the air than motorists.
"Earlier, people were hesitant to take to cycling because they feared for their safety on the road," says cycling enthusiast Mayank Rungta who mostly uses his bicycle to get around. "Now, the top concern is pollution."
However, it turns out, he and many others in his circle are not too worried about vehicular emissions. "That's something we're used to," he says.
But he and a friend have observed that garbage burning in the city has increased over the past year. "People are burning garbage where you earlier used to find dumps," he explains. "And these have plastic and rubber, the fumes from which are toxic."
Pollution masks, he believes, could help, but they are rather uncomfortable. "Suppose you inhale something and want to cough, it becomes difficult," he adds. "So now I'm wondering if I should cycle around less and use my motorbike more."
IT consultant Badrinath Sastry took up cycling for the second time a decade ago. Like Mayank, he too is advocates this as a preferred mode of transport.
"Yes, traffic and pollution are concerns," he admits, but goes on to add that he has found some ways to beat these problems. "I plan the previous evening if I'm cycling to work," he says. So he ensures he leaves by 7 am and is well past the Central Business District before 7.30 am, when the roads become packed and the fumes rise.
"As I've cycled around Bengaluru for many years now, I also know the traffic-free
bylanes I can take on my regular route — Vijayanagar to Electronics City and back," says the avid cyclist.
Mechanical engineer Balakrishna U has been riding along city roads for about 11 years now. For him, traffic, not pollution, is a major concern. "Except when there's a huge bus, emitting a lot of black smoke right in front of you," he adds.
Yateesh Kumar, a technical consultant with an MNC in Electonics City, started commuting on his cycle in 2010. Over this year, however, his frequency of cycling to work has reduced to once or twice a week.
"Unless I can leave my house in Banashankari before 7 am, I take the bus or my own transport," he says. He cites dust from ongoing construction and civic work as one of the reasons for this.
"Several apartment and residential complexes have come up in Electronics City over the past few months and the number of vehicles on the roads has gone up by more than 4,000," he says. "When I wash the kerchief I tie around my face to protect myself against the fumes, there's a black residue. I'm sure this level of pollution is affecting my health."
Venkateswara Rao Navanasi, a data analyst, says the dust from the flyover work near Soul Space Arena, en route his office in Bellandur from his house in Ramamurthy Nagar, has been giving him "throat problems". "And the vehicular pollution adds to it," he says.
So he ordered a few masks last week which are yet to be delivered. "Even though I have an Activa, I continue riding my cycle, except when we go on family outings or grocery shopping," he adds. "Because trying to beat the traffic on a scooter is a pain."
However, the bumper-to-bumper traffic worsens the impact of the particulate matter on cyclists' health, he elaborates. "It goes on for kilometres on end and motorists don't turn off the engine, so you take in all that exhaust," he says.
Consulting physician Dr B V S Reddy reiterates this view. "Cyclists are at a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary problems than other groups because their respiratory activity is greater while in the traffic," he explains. "So their intake of the toxic fumes is also greater."
Masks would protect you to an extent as would helmets, he counsels. "Exhaust from diesel vehicles is the worst," he cautions.
Cycling to work has slowly caught on in the city, enabling people to get fit, beat the traffic and contribute to the environment; all in one shot.However, with the pollution levels in the city on the rise, while these cyclists are doing their bit to reduce their carbon footprint, they are, perhaps, worse affected by the particulate matter in the air than motorists.
"Earlier, people were hesitant to take to cycling because they feared for their safety on the road,” says cycling enthusiast Mayank Rungta who mostly uses his bicycle to get around. "Now, the top concern is pollution.”
However, it turns out, he and many others in his circle are not too worried about vehicular emissions. "That’s something we’re used to,” he says.
But he and a friend have observed that garbage burning in the city has increased over the past year. "People are burning garbage where you earlier used to find dumps,” he explains. "And these have plastic and rubber, the fumes from which are toxic.”
Pollution masks, he believes, could help, but they are rather uncomfortable. "Suppose you inhale something and want to cough, it becomes difficult,” he adds. "So now I’m wondering if I should cycle around less and use my motorbike more.”
IT consultant Badrinath Sastry took up cycling for the second time a decade ago. Like Mayank, he too is advocates this as a preferred mode of transport.
"Yes, traffic and pollution are concerns,” he admits, but goes on to add that he has found some ways to beat these problems. "I plan the previous evening if I’m cycling to work,” he says. So he ensures he leaves by 7 am and is well past the Central Business District before 7.30 am, when the roads become packed and the fumes rise.
"As I’ve cycled around Bengaluru for many years now, I also know the traffic-free
bylanes I can take on my regular route — Vijayanagar to Electronics City and back,” says the avid cyclist.
Mechanical engineer Balakrishna U has been riding along city roads for about 11 years now. For him, traffic, not pollution, is a major concern. "Except when there’s a huge bus, emitting a lot of black smoke right in front of you,” he adds.
Yateesh Kumar, a technical consultant with an MNC in Electonics City, started commuting on his cycle in 2010. Over this year, however, his frequency of cycling to work has reduced to once or twice a week.
"Unless I can leave my house in Banashankari before 7 am, I take the bus or my own transport,” he says. He cites dust from ongoing construction and civic work as one of the reasons for this.
"Several apartment and residential complexes have come up in Electronics City over the past few months and the number of vehicles on the roads has gone up by more than 4,000,” he says. "When I wash the kerchief I tie around my face to protect myself against the fumes, there’s a black residue. I’m sure this level of pollution is affecting my health.”
Venkateswara Rao Navanasi, a data analyst, says the dust from the flyover work near Soul Space Arena, en route his office in Bellandur from his house in Ramamurthy Nagar, has been giving him "throat problems”. "And the vehicular pollution adds to it,” he says.
So he ordered a few masks last week which are yet to be delivered. "Even though I have an Activa, I continue riding my cycle, except when we go on family outings or grocery shopping,” he adds. "Because trying to beat the traffic on a scooter is a pain.”
However, the bumper-to-bumper traffic worsens the impact of the particulate matter on cyclists’ health, he elaborates. "It goes on for kilometres on end and motorists don’t turn off the engine, so you take in all that exhaust,” he says.
Consulting physician Dr B V S Reddy reiterates this view. "Cyclists are at a greater risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary problems than other groups because their respiratory activity is greater while in the traffic,” he explains. "So their intake of the toxic fumes is also greater.”
Masks would protect you to an extent as would helmets, he counsels. "Exhaust from diesel vehicles is the worst,” he cautions.