Highlights
- Experts gather at air-o-thon to discuss indoor air pollution and solutions
- Rajasthan suffers the most in terms of indoor and outdoor air pollution
- Jan 22: National Air Quality Index recorded severe AQI (418) at Anand Vihar
New Delhi: Delhi’s air pollution has been grabbing attention for a long time, but Delhi is not the only victim of air pollution. Neighboring states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Haryana also faced the brunt of severe levels of pollutants. With major pollutants being PM2.5 and PM10, which are known to cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular complications, individuals complained of shortness of breath, itching in eyes and other respiratory related problems in a recent past. Keeping all this in mind, experts gathered at ‘Air-O-Thon’, the Jaipur edition of the second series of an international summit organised on the Malaviya National Institiute of Technology (MNIT) campus, to discuss the growing issue of indoor air pollution and air quality management.
According to former SMS Medical College Principal, Dr Virendra Singh, Rajasthan suffers the most in terms of indoor and outdoor air pollution and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases) due to such pollution account for most deaths in the state.
Eminent speakers, researchers, academicians, not only gathered to discuss the poor indoor air quality in India and health implications of exposure to such pollution, but also to share knowledge, experience, technologies and solutions to set up a momentum to fight air pollution.
Speaking at the event, Dr Nivedita Kaul, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering at MNIT said,
The workshop is an effort to bring together the technical acumen of engineers and the expertise of eminent pulmonologists to put before society the concrete manner in which the growing challenge of indoor and air pollution can be addressed.
According to a report published in the medical journal Lancet, household pollution is a leading killer in. Burning solid fuel for cooking is a common practice in India, and PM2.5 produced through this lead to the premature deaths of 1,24,207 Indians in 2015.
Also Read: With Improvement In Technology, Finer Particles May Turn Up As Next Enemy, Say Experts
Current Status Of Major Polluted Cities
Bhiwadi in Alwar was Rajasthan’s most polluted city on Diwali in 2017 with an Average Quality Index (AQI) of 425. 10 heavy polluting industries in Bhiwadi were identified by the National Green Tribunal in February 2017 and have been asked to shut down. Despite the closure of major polluting industries, the severe levels of air pollution continue.
As per the data given by National Air Quality Index, PM 2.5 level in RIICO Industrial Area-III, Bhiwadi reached a severe 366 on January 18, 2018 at 11PM. Not only this, other parts of Rajasthan also reeled under moderate to poor levels of pollutant.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI of Jaipur on January 21, 2018 was a moderate 176 with PM2.5 and PM10 being the pollutants. While Jodhpur had a poor AQI of 246, Udaipur had a moderate AQI of 184 with PM2.5 being the major pollutant.
Uttar Pradesh which once had a worse air quality than Delhi is still not faring better. Currently, AQI is under very poor category in some parts of Uttar Pradesh like Agra (339), Ghaziabad(373), Kanpur(314), and Lucknow(352).
As per National Air Quality Index, average AQI in Delhi recorded at Anand Vihar station on January 22 at 12PM is 418 which is severe.
Also Read: New In Delhi: Air Quality Index Display Panels In Traffic Signals With Health Advisory
With inputs from IANS
