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Smog blankets Kanpur; metro corp slapped with ₹52L fine
Monday’s AQI reading stood at 292, causing respiratory distress among the city’s residents. Doctors have advised people to postpone their morning workouts until after 8:30 am to minimise health risks.
KANPUR Over the past two days, Kanpur has found itself engulfed in a thick blanket of smog, particularly worsening during the morning and evening hours. The Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently soared above the hazardous 300 mark, severely affecting visibility, with morning visibility on Monday recorded at less than 50 metres.
Monday’s AQI reading stood at 292, causing respiratory distress among the city’s residents. Doctors have advised people to postpone their morning workouts until after 8:30 am to minimise health risks. In response to the alarming pollution levels, the State Pollution Control Board issued a notice and imposed fines totalling ₹52 lakh on the U.P. Metro Rail Corporation due to their failure to implement pollution control measures at their construction sites.
Despite repeated warnings from authorities regarding the escalation of pollution during the winter season, the corporation neglected to take action to control dust emissions at construction sites. Inspections carried out in October confirmed the absence of any measures to mitigate the issue.
Dr Amit Mishra, the regional manager of the pollution control board, revealed that District Magistrate Vishak G Iyer had formed three teams to investigate dust emissions at various locations. The board levied two fines, one amounting to ₹26 lakhs and the other to ₹26.5 lakhs, for environmental harm at two locations, Gurudev Palace and GT Road.
The pollution control board has issued notices to six different departments. The city is not only witnessing ongoing Metro construction but also several other sites that contribute significantly to the dust problem. Activities such as the ongoing 660 MW unit work in Panki and excavation for pipeline laying in Jajmau for treatment plants have substantially increased dust emissions.
Dr SN Sunil Pandey, the principal weather scientist at Chandra Shekhar Azad University for Agriculture and Technology, warned that the thick haze caused by high pollution levels would persist throughout the week. Improvement in air quality is expected only when the wind speed increases.
Dr Pandey emphasised that smog comprises a hazardous combination of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, benzene, and various carbon-based gases, present in substantial quantities. When exposed to sunlight, these toxic gases merge into a noxious layer, significantly reducing visibility and worsening respiratory problems. He defined smog as a yellow or black fog resulting from high levels of air pollution and expressed hope that the situation would improve with higher wind speeds over the next three to four days.
The Kanpur Municipal Corporation stated that it had sprayed 90,000 litres of water throughout the city using 18 anti-smog guns and tankers between 8 am and 12 pm to combat suspended dust particles in the air.
Municipal commissioner Shiv Sharan Appa has assured that the corporation was closely monitoring the situation and implementing preventive measures to address air quality concerns. In the meantime, the district magistrate has scheduled a meeting of various departments on November 7 to address the smog issue.
