Submissions | VizChitra 2026

The Pollution That Wasn't

Aditya

Designer

Under Review · Exhibition

Description

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.

Data Source

BMRCL Hourly Ridership Data
Assessment of emission reduction potential of Mumbai metro rail
Delhi Metro and air pollution impacts
MTA Avoided Carbon Calculator case study, example of communicating transit's avoided emissions

Visualization Method

The installation is a 1.5m × 1.5m floor or tabletop projection on a physical map of Bangalore. Using BMRCL's daily/hourly ridership data (obtained via RTI), we visualize the precise, granular movement of people across the network hour by hour. Using this ridership data and other research in this domain, we work out how many emissions are avoided by each ride on the network. In its default state, the map pulses with the magnitude of ridership throughout a day but an interactive console lets you scrub through time or toggle scenarios such as "What if the Yellow Line didn't exist?" or lets you get specific by allowing choices like "A metro ride from Nagasandra to RV Road". Each interaction then shows avoided emissions through animations and graphics. We want to show you two Bangalores: the one we’d live in if the metro didn’t exist and the one we collectively prevent.

Technical Requirements

Floor space: Max 1.5m × 1.5m area (adjustable to gallery constraints)
Short-throw projector with overhead mounting assistance
Ability to darken the installation area for projection clarity
Plug-points for laptops and projectors

Project Status & Timeline

We’re currently in ideation and analysis and work on the physical installation has not yet begun. We will be able to keep the schedule.

Previous Work

View Portfolio

Team

Diagram Chasing

Diagram Chasing (https://diagramchasing.fun) is a publication that produces data-driven works of various interests.

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