PROTECTING BENGALURU’S CHILDREN: time to act for clean air around schools

This report by the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) and Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) investigates air quality around 270 schools in Bengaluru, India, between June 2019 and July 2020. Using data from the Healthy Air Coalition's independent monitoring network, the study finds that air quality is generally unhealthy for children throughout the year, with significant spikes in PM2.5 during winter months and school departure times. The report advocates for stricter compliance with health-based air quality standards and the implementation of traffic restrictions around schools to protect children's respiratory and cardiovascular health.

• Air quality in Bengaluru is considered unhealthy for children year-round according to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, with the worst conditions occurring from October to April.
• During December and January, PM2.5 levels exceeded the Indian national air quality standard of 60 μg/m3, which is categorized as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups'.
• Air quality is particularly poor during school departure times (3 PM to 5 PM), with 83.3% of studied areas exceeding US EPA standards and 94.4% exceeding WHO daily recommended values.
• During school hours, two-thirds of the studied areas exhibited high daily concentrations of PM2.5 that exceeded US EPA standards, potentially exposing children in classrooms and during breaks.
• The study observed a significant reduction in PM2.5 levels during the COVID-19 lockdown, with drops ranging from 11% to 34% compared to the pre-lockdown period, suggesting that reducing vehicular traffic and construction can improve air quality.
• There is a documented increase in childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis in Bengaluru; asthma prevalence in those under 18 rose from 9% in 1979 to 29.5% in 1999.
• Children in schools located in high-traffic areas showed higher asthma rates (19.34%) compared to those in low-traffic areas (11.15%).
• The report identifies a lack of sufficient government monitoring, noting that only 10 online real-time stations operate in a city of over 12 million people, whereas at least 41 are estimated to be necessary for a robust assessment.
• The report recommends several policy and school-level interventions, including restricting heavy traffic around schools, closing school roads during peak times, and shifting school hours based on air quality data.

APA

Gordeljevic, V., MacGuire, F., & Stauffer, A. (2021). PROTECTING BENGALURU’S CHILDREN: time to act for clean air around schools. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AQ-Indian-Schools_PROTECTING-BENGALURUS-CHILDREN_web.pdf

Chicago

Gordeljevic, Vijoleta, Frances MacGuire, and Anne Stauffer. PROTECTING BENGALURU’S CHILDREN: time to act for clean air around schools. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2021. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AQ-Indian-Schools_PROTECTING-BENGALURUS-CHILDREN_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gordeljevic |first1=Vijoleta |last2=MacGuire |first2=Frances |last3=Stauffer |first3=Anne |title=PROTECTING BENGALURU’S CHILDREN: time to act for clean air around schools |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=April 2021 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AQ-Indian-Schools_PROTECTING-BENGALURUS-CHILDREN_web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gordeljevic2021protecting, author = {Gordeljevic, Vijoleta and MacGuire, Frances and Stauffer, Anne}, title = {{PROTECTING BENGALURU’S CHILDREN: time to act for clean air around schools}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AQ-Indian-Schools_PROTECTING-BENGALURUS-CHILDREN_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }