Nine Odisha towns among country’s air pollution list

Bhubaneswar: Total 9 nine towns of Odisha found place in a list of ‘non-attainment’ cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) initiated by the Government of India, of which Paradeep is the most polluted town in the state, a survey report revealed.

According to the Airpocalypse report published annually by Greenpeace India since January 2017, Paradeep is listed among other Indian cities with 121 milligram per cubic metre (mg/m3) in 2018. The Port City registered severe air pollution followed by Kalinga Nagar, Rourkela, Cuttack, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Angul, Bonaigarh and Bhubaneswar in Odisha.

As per the survey, Jharia in Jharkhand recorded the maximum level of PM10 pollutants with 322 mg/m3 in 2018, followed by both Dhanbad in Jharkhand and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh was recorded as the third most polluted city in India with 245 µg/m3.

Greenpeace India conducted the survey under National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) covering 287 Indian cities in 28 states and 7 union territories. Out of total cities, 231 cities were severely polluted, with PM10 levels exceeding the limits set under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). According to NAAQS, the PM10 levels set for industrial, residential, rural and other cities in India over a 24-hour period is 100 mg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre air) and the average over a year is 60 mg/m3.

Notably, the NAMP by Central Pollution Control Board monitors three major air pollutants — Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter size equal to or less than 10 micron (PM10) along with meteorological parameters across the country.

The current or fourth version of the report “Airpocalypse-IV” analyses and discusses the data compiled by CPCB from NAMP network collecting air quality data for 745 stations across the country in 2018 and compared that to the NAAQS and cities notified as non-attainment under NCAP.

Historical PM10 concentration in Odisha towns with air quality monitoring under National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) Programme since 2013.

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