Bengaluru wakes up to 'unhealthy' AQI levels

Bengaluru saw “unhealthy” AQI levels of 210 on Wednesday morning, with its major pollutants being PM2.5 - particulate matter - and carbon monoxide.

Updated on: Nov 30, 2022, 09:17:56 IST

By Yamini C S

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Karnataka capital Bengaluru, also called the 'Garden City', woke up to the unhealthy air quality levels of 210 on Wednesday morning, data on AQI.in said. This is the poorest AQI level the city has seen this month. Most areas in Bengaluru had "poor" air quality levels with Brigade road and Bellandur areas at “unhealthy”. The only areas with AQI levels under 100 were Sanjaynagar and Venkatachary Nagar with “moderate” rating, and Saneguravahalli with “good” rating.

Air quality levels in Bengaluru notched up to hit this month's peak on Wednesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT)(Image for representation)

The current PM2.5 concentration - indicating air pollutants - in the city is 6.1 times above the recommended limit given by the World Health organisation's (WHO) 24-hour air quality guidelines value, the website added. The major pollutants in the city on Wednesday morning were: PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrogen dioxide.

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In comparison, Patna was the most polluted city in the country with 330 AQI, whereas New Delhi was at 264. On the other hand, Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland) and Sopur (Jammu and Kashmir) were the least polluted, with AQIs ranging from 13 to 33 at about 8:05 am. AQI levels in Bengaluru had gone up to 194 on Tuesday, the highest level since November 21 when the level was 144.

The AQI website also warned that patchy rain can be expected in the state capital from Thursday to Saturday this week. Air quality levels will be in 80s on Thursday and Friday and go up to 110 on Saturday, it forecasted. It also advised Bengaluru residents to stay indoors, keep windows closed, use air purifiers in closed spaces and wear a mask when venturing out.

Bengaluru is expected to see temperatures between 17 degrees to 28 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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