Mangaluru: Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment B Ramanath Rai on Friday regretted that continuous efforts to check air pollution have failed to bring desired results.

Speaking after flagging off of the mobile smoke emission inspection unit procured by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Rai, who is also the district in-charge minister, recalled the past experiments that were ineffective due to opposition from the people.

Rai said, when it was decided to scrap old vehicles, people protested against the decision. In the later years, it was decided to classify vehicles as green and red (mostly to identify most polluting vehicles), but to no avail. Then came the auto LPG concept where gas kits were distributed to autorickshaws. Yet, it has become impossible to check air pollution, he regretted.

Though compressed natural gas (CNG) was introduced in New Delhi in a big way to check petrol and diesel vehicles from polluting the environment, the problem remains to be addressed to a larger extent, he said.

Rai said 2,000 tribal families in the district will be getting LPG connection this year. The tribals, who were earlier dependent on firewood, are slowly adopting LPG. Thi is yet another bid to check impact on environment, he added.

On the launch of mobile smoke emission inspection unit in the city, Rai said it is essential to check the pollutant two-wheelers that account for 60% air pollution.

The minister appealed to the corporate companies to set aside their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for environmental-friendly activities.

Earlier DC (Transport) Ramesh Vernekar said access to pure air has assumed significance like basic amenities, other than food, clothing and dwelling.

Environment officer, KSPCB, Mangaluru, Rajashekar B Puranik said the huge density of vehicles has added to pollution.

Mangaluru north MLA B A Mohiuddin Bawa, Managing Director, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) H Kumar, DCF Dr Hanumanthappa and others were present.