CHENNAI: Despite recording high Heat Temperatures in March, Chennai was the only city among the ten non-attainment cities under the national clean Air Program that had safe air to breathe. A non-attainment city is one whose air does not meet national ambient air quality standards from 2011 to 2015.
An analysis of daily recorded PM2.5 and PM10 levels for ten cities including Agra, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Mumbai, Lucknow and Patna showed that Chennai was the only city where PM2.5 was level. within the permissible limit. Its PM10 level also broke in the months of March and May.
Data was analyzed for four months from March to mid-June and pollution control Board (CPCB) The annual average permissible limits for PM 2.5, PM 10 and NO2 are 40 ug/m3, 60 ug/m3 and 40 ug/m3 respectively. The World Health Organization’s safe limits for these pollutants are 5 ug/m3, 15 ug/m3 and 10 ug/m3.
According to the data, PM 2.5 levels were recorded in excess of permissible levels in March 2022 in all cities except Chennai. For PM10 levels, all cities violated the limit. In April, levels improved only in Kolkata and it joined Chennai among cities that did not breach the safety limits for PM 2.5. Chennai was also the only city with PM10 levels within safe limits during April. A similar trend continued in May when only Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata saw PM 2.5 levels within safe limits and no city met the safety standards for PM 10 levels.
With rains lashing parts of the country in June 2022, five cities – Agra, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai – saw PM 2.5 levels improving and within CPCB safety limits. During June, PM10 levels in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai were less than 60 ug/m3.
This air pollution data from CPCB from the dashboard of continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations of the National Clean Air Program’s NCAP tracker.
An expert, Sachi N Tripathi, said the data was a clear indication that air pollution is not just a winter problem as is commonly believed. The reason why Chennai is safe, Tripathi, a steering committee member of NCAP and professor at IIT-Kanpur, said that Chennai being a coastal city plays a major role in tackling air pollution as sea breeze ensures that particulate matter The substance is absorbed by the sea.
Shiv Nagendra IIT-Madras Said that in March and May also when PM10 breach occurred, it was re-suspension of dust due to more construction activities and other local activities.
“PM2.5 sources are vehicular pollution. There are traffic jams somewhere compared to other cities but it is flowing and people are not stuck at the signal for long. Several measures have been taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation to improve the pollution levels,” he said.
An analysis of daily recorded PM2.5 and PM10 levels for ten cities including Agra, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Mumbai, Lucknow and Patna showed that Chennai was the only city where PM2.5 was level. within the permissible limit. Its PM10 level also broke in the months of March and May.
Data was analyzed for four months from March to mid-June and pollution control Board (CPCB) The annual average permissible limits for PM 2.5, PM 10 and NO2 are 40 ug/m3, 60 ug/m3 and 40 ug/m3 respectively. The World Health Organization’s safe limits for these pollutants are 5 ug/m3, 15 ug/m3 and 10 ug/m3.
According to the data, PM 2.5 levels were recorded in excess of permissible levels in March 2022 in all cities except Chennai. For PM10 levels, all cities violated the limit. In April, levels improved only in Kolkata and it joined Chennai among cities that did not breach the safety limits for PM 2.5. Chennai was also the only city with PM10 levels within safe limits during April. A similar trend continued in May when only Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata saw PM 2.5 levels within safe limits and no city met the safety standards for PM 10 levels.
With rains lashing parts of the country in June 2022, five cities – Agra, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai – saw PM 2.5 levels improving and within CPCB safety limits. During June, PM10 levels in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai were less than 60 ug/m3.
This air pollution data from CPCB from the dashboard of continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations of the National Clean Air Program’s NCAP tracker.
An expert, Sachi N Tripathi, said the data was a clear indication that air pollution is not just a winter problem as is commonly believed. The reason why Chennai is safe, Tripathi, a steering committee member of NCAP and professor at IIT-Kanpur, said that Chennai being a coastal city plays a major role in tackling air pollution as sea breeze ensures that particulate matter The substance is absorbed by the sea.
Shiv Nagendra IIT-Madras Said that in March and May also when PM10 breach occurred, it was re-suspension of dust due to more construction activities and other local activities.
“PM2.5 sources are vehicular pollution. There are traffic jams somewhere compared to other cities but it is flowing and people are not stuck at the signal for long. Several measures have been taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation to improve the pollution levels,” he said.