As per an estimate, the level of suspended particulate matter has been measured at 460 mg/cubic metre, which is much higher than the safe level of 200 prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), says Dr S M Sarin, director, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).

Similarly, vehicles in Delhi generate noise which is much above the permitted limits. The noise pollution control committee in 1989 recommended 50 decibels of sound measurement for residential areas and 65 to 75 db for commercial and industrial areas.

Studies, however, show that people in the Capital are exposed to noise pollution which exceeds the prescribed limits many times over.

They indicate that those exposed to 80 db of noise over a period of time suffer 10 per cent permanent hearing loss, which at 100 db rises to 53 per cent and at 115 db to 94 per cent.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), on an average, a Delhiite visits a doctor at least 15 times a year, because of health problems specifically caused by pollution.

The Delhi Environmental Status Report (1995) reveals that the incidence of respiratory ailments in the Capital is 12 times the national average.

According to experts, these problems have a common origin -- an increase in both private and public vehicles, which in the last decade has far outstripped the projected numbers.

Of the 230 million people who form the urban population, nearly 65 per cent live in 23 metropolitan cities, where the public transport supply is predominantly road-based.

Road traffic has more than doubled in the past two decades, but the trend is skewed in favour of private cars and trucks.

``Delhi has witnessed a phenomenal increase in private-car ownership and mobility in the last one decade and the trend continues unabated,'' said Suvashish Choudhary, ACP (traffic) in Delhi police.

As the pace of development gathers momentum, the demand for vehicles is bound to increase.``But the new lifestyle of the emerging prosperous middle class which tries to earn its status points -- is compounding the problem,'' says Prof V P Jain of Delhi University.

``Mode of transport is now increasingly becoming a badge of one's increasing worth, rather than a social statement''.

A hike in the latest models of expensive foreign luxury cars drives home the point that one will be recognised and given a place in society, even though there is hardly any space on cramped roads to accommodate your ``status symbol''.Apart from pollution and congestion, vehicle growth has also added to the accident rate.

A study shows that 75 per cent of the people killed on the roads are pedestrians, cyclists and motor-cyclists.

According to Choudhary, as many as 14 lakh people were fined for reckless driving. He, however, says that mere prosecution of culprits cannot take care of the growing accident rate.

Professor S K Khanna of CRRI believes that the rail-road integration method will go a long way in reducing the burden on roads. The existing ring railway service has not been able to deliver the goods due to poor implementation strategy.