The Pollution That Wasn't

In one line: An interactive floor installation visualizing Bangalore's "avoided emissions" that don’t exist because 800,000 people choose Namma Metro over private vehicles every day.

The metro produces effectively zero particulate emissions, while road transport accounts for 40% of Bangalore's PM2.5 pollution. Using India-specific emission data, we can attempt to quantify what doesn’t happen: for Namma Metro's approximately 800,000 daily riders, how many emissions are prevented? Both overall and around specific stations or along specific routes. There's local proof this connection is real too! When Namma Metro raised fares in 2025, ridership dropped 10.5% and air pollution measurably increased. The reverse is also true: every time you use the metro, you improve the air everyone breathes.

We previously visualized this data in our story How Bangalore Uses the Metro. This installation extends that work by discussing public transit not just through ridership statistics but as collective climate resilience.