India's cleanest city Indore breathes ‘severe’ air day after Diwali

In January 2024, Indore was ranked as India's cleanest city for the seventh consecutive year under the Centre’s annual Swachh Survekshan Awards.

Published on: Nov 1, 2024, 22:41:52 IST

By HT News Desk

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Air quality in Indore, widely regarded as India's cleanest city breached the 400 mark in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Friday, a day after the city celebrated Diwali, news agency PTI reported. This puts the city's air quality under “severe” category as per norms by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Indore's air quality remains in the "satisfactory" category (AQI 51-100) for most days of the year. AQI index breached the 400 mark a day post Diwali celebration in the city. (Representational image) (ANI)

According to the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) data, air quality in the city's Chhoti Gwaltoli area was recorded at 404 on Friday afternoon. PM 10 (particulate matter) levels stood at 318.08, while much finer and hazardous PM 2.5 was recorded at 255.26. Chhoti Gwaltoli is densely populated with heavy vehicular movement.

Indore's air quality remains in the "satisfactory" category (AQI 51-100) for most days of the year. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.

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“The city started with loud Diwali fireworks from Thursday morning which continued till late night. The situation continued in many areas on Friday also. This is the main reason for the air quality in the city reaching the severe category,” said Dr Dilip Vaghela, a former official of the SPCB.

Dr Vaghela also attributed the pollution load to calm winds that could not disperse the pollutants away from the city's skies. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the wind speed in the city was recorded at zero km per hour at 08.30 am on Friday.

According to a study by Clean Air Catalyst, a global coalition, Indore's highest contributors (70 per cent) to air pollution are vehicular pollution and road dust during normal times.

Also read | Delhi’s air world’s most polluted on November 1 morning post-Diwali: AQI of top 10 cities

India's cleanest city

Indore is widely appreciated for its waste management model. In January 2024, it was ranked as India's cleanest city for the seventh consecutive year under the Centre’s annual Swachh Survekshan Awards.

Apart from strict waste segregation at source, the city administration makes use of extensive composting programmes, and the creative repurposing of waste into art and community projects. Notable programmes like the "I Carry My Bag" campaign have significantly reduced single-use plastic, while various recycling centres across the city encourage waste reuse and support local employment.

(With PTI inputs)

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HT News Desk
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