Hyderabad, July 21: Air pollution levels in the city are shooting up rapidly because of the exponential rise in the number of vehicles. "On an average, 600 new vehicles are entering our roads every day," said a senior transport official. This has been causing the air pollution to go beyond acceptable levels. For instance, the total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) in the air should be 200 milligram per cubic metre but the average value being recorded in the twin cities is 280 milligram per cubic metre. Busy junctions such as Panjagutta, Charminar, Paradise Circle and Abids are recording a staggering TSPM rate of 300-400 on any given day. There is nothing new in saying that the air we breathe is polluted but the increase in the levels of pollution in recent times is quite alarming. According to experts, vehicles contribute 50 per cent of the total air pollution in urban areas while the dust on roads is the next biggest culprit and contributes 25 per cent. Burning of refuse and vegetation is resulting in 15 per cent air pollution while industries are responsible for the remaining 10 per cent. It is evident from this that vehicles are the prime culprits in the increase in air pollution in urban centres. The number of vehicles in twin cities has shot up from 10.91 lakh in 2001 to 18.47 lakh by the end of 2007. Add another 7.94 lakh vehicles registered in surrounding Ranga Reddy district, and the total number of vehicles goes up to 26,42,337 in Greater Hyderabad region. If the vehicles registered in other districts and used by city folk are also taken into account, the number crosses 27 lakh. In fact, between 2006 and 2007, the total number of vehicles in Hyderabad increased by 1,66,129 with carsjeeps rising by 33,986 and two-wheelers by 1,16,511. Now, as many as 2,61,850 cars and 13,81,861 two-wheelers zoom through the twin cities. The city buses of the APSRTC, the Setwin services, cabs, Aeroexpress buses being run by the Hyderabad International Airport and autorickshaws are found to be major polluters. Fuel adulteration has become rampant these days with the hike in prices of petrol and diesel and also because of the shortage of diesel. This makes the emissions from cabs and autos all the more noxious and harmful to health. But the traffic police, the transport authorities and the civil supplies department have not taken any action to check this. The port city of Visakhapatnam used to be relatively free from air pollution, but unfortunately, it is also