AQI updates: Air quality slips to ‘poor’ category in Odisha’s Baripada, Talcher

Bhubaneswar: The Air Quality Index (AQI) of two towns in Odisha witnessed a ‘poor’ AQI rating, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) sources said today.

Angul recorded a ‘moderate’ air quality with an index value of 198 and the major pollutant found was PM₁₀. This was followed by Balasore (air quality-moderate, index value-145, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀), Barbil (air quality-moderate, index value-176, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀), Baripada (air quality-poor, index value-219, and major pollutant found-PM_2.5), Bhubaneswar (air quality-satisfactory, index value-96, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀), Brajrajnagar (air quality-satisfactory, index value-84, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀), Cuttack (air quality-moderate, index value-102, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀), Keonjhar (air quality-satisfactory, index value-85, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀), Rairangpur (air quality-moderate, index value-117, and major pollutant found-PM₁₀) and Rourkela (air quality-moderate, index value-161, and major pollutant found-PM_2.5).

Worth mentioning, breathing clean air lessens the possibility of stroke, heart attack, cardiac arrest, lung cancer as well as chronic and acute respiratory ailments such as asthma. Lower levels of air pollution are better for heart and respiratory health both in the long and short term.