MEXICO CITY
Four million cars, 30,000 industrial plants and a high plateau location have made Mexico City probably the world's most-polluted city. In 1993, ozone levels exceeded WHO "safe" levels on 334 days. Sore throats, stinging eyes, splitting headaches, even asthma attacks are accepted as the norm. Added to exhaust and industrial pollution is the prevalent dust from dried urine and faeces, mainly from dogs, rats and humans.
The government has taken various measures, some ostensibly drastic, in recent years. The city claims to have spent $5bn on clean air programmes since 1988. In 1990, the "hoy no circula" (today you don't drive) campaign was launched, taking one-fifth of the city's cars off the road on any given day, according to the last digit of the number plate. True to form, however, Mexicans simply wheeled out their second or third cars, adding 300,000 vehicles to the road within weeks. Others simply switched number plates.
In 1991, the federal government ordered all new cars to have catalytic converters and pushed the use of lead-free petrol. That left the hundreds of thousands of Fifties, Sixties and Seventies gas-guzzling Chevvies, Ford Galaxies etc, which Mexicans somehow manage to keep on the road. Mandatory twice-yearly exhaust checks were introduced, with a centralised computer system used to curtail the use of bribes.
Last year, a 200-person "Green Police" force was set up to watch for and fine drivers of polluting vehicles but they, too, poorly paid, have had a tendency to settle for pa'chesco (a tip) to turn a blind eye. Phil Davison