E-Paper
Air pollution: AQI of UP cities improves to “moderate” from “severe”
Recent scattered rains in part of west UP and drop in stubble burning has helped in bringing down air pollution levels in UP cities, said experts
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of major Uttar Pradesh cities has shown marked improvement from “severe” and “very poor” to “poor” and “moderate” since November, as per the data of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
“The AQI numbers of major UP cities have not only improved since last month but are also better than the numbers of previous years. The air quality has improved despite drop in temperatures. This shows that the efforts made by agencies at district level and that of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) have been effective in improving air quality,” said member secretary of UPPCB Ajay Sharma.
The pollution control boards along with municipal corporations, traffic and agriculture department have implemented graded response action plan (GRAP) across the state to reduce air pollution as per the directions of chief minster Yogi Adityanath.
The GRAP refers to strict curbs on air pollution causing activities like stubble/garbage burning, uncovered construction work, illegal emissions in industries and taking measures to improve air quality.
According to experts, recent scattered rains in part of west UP and drop in stubble burning has helped in improving the air quality.
The AQI value of state capital Lucknow on Saturday was recorded at 199 that was down from 205 on November 11. An AQI in range of 101 to 200 is considered moderate, between 201 and 300 is considered poor while above 401 is considered severe with known adverse impact on human health on exposure.
The change in AQI value of other cities differ more. The AQI of Agra, Baghpat and Bulandshahar on Saturday was 148, 193 and 185, far less than the AQI recorded on November 11 that was 437, 437 and 447 for the cities respectively. The AQI of Ghaziabad and Kanpur on Saturday was recorded at 264 and 186 which was less than 461 and 246 recorded on November 11.
Similarly, the AQI in Prayagraj, Varanasi and Gorakhpur was recorded at 117, 122 and 113 as compared to 247, 293, and 271 recorded respectively on November 11.
