Ban on flowering plants

In a major move to control the pollen ridden environment of Bangalore, the Corporation has banned planting of flowering plants in the gardens. This move comes in the wake of increasing pollen in the city atmosphere. There has been study done to ascertain the levels of pollen pollution in the city either. Dr H Paramesh, peadiatric pulmonologist and director of Lakeside Medical Centre and College, has been reported to have said that the pollen count is not as high as it was 10 years ago as the city has become a dense concrete jungle now. However, allergic pollens become 50 times stronger when diesel particles or automobile emissions are deposited on them. “The lack of a pollen study has left us clueless on the status of the potential of allergens. We doctors do not have any researchers giving us inputs on pollen watch.” BBMP has suggested that flowering plants can be kept in individual residences but not in the gardens.