Pune Air Quality Deteriorates Rapidly Due To Weather Fluctuations
Pune, 12th December 2022: The air quality in Pune was recorded as ‘poor’ for the entire week due to changes in weather conditions, stagnant winds and increased levels of polluting particles in the atmosphere.
The air quality in Shivajinagar and Bhumkar Chowk had dropped to the ‘extreme’ category for four consecutive days. Therefore, the fog was replaced by smog in the atmosphere in this area.
While efforts are being made to reduce air pollution in Pune under the National Clean Air Program, the air pollution in winter has been alarming for two consecutive years. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) records various pollutants, including fine dust (particulate matter (PM) 10) and ultrafine dust (PM 2.5), in the air from 10 centres in different parts of Pune under the ‘SAFAR’ scheme. Based on this, air quality is determined. The temperature has been fluctuating for the past week, and the wind has died down. Due to this, the fine dust particles dispersed in the air lingered in the air, and the quality deteriorated.
According to the ‘SAFAR’ report, the air quality was ‘very bad’ in Shivajinagar, Bhumkar Chowk and ‘bad’ in Kothrud, Bhosari, and Hadapsar areas due to the high amount of fine (particulate matter 10) and ultrafine dust particles (PM2.5) in the air during the day on Sunday. The ‘moderate’ range was recorded in Nigdi, Katraj, Alandi, Lohgaon, and Pashan. Air quality was not recorded as ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ at any ‘SAFAR’ centres on Sunday.
As fine dust particles are inhaled directly into the lungs, their increased concentration in the air is unhealthy for citizens. In the last few years, the amount of fine dust in Pune has been increasing. A National Green Tribunal-appointed task force on improving air quality has objected that climate change cannot be blamed every time for deteriorating air quality. Efforts should be made to reduce the pollutants in the atmosphere. If the amount of fine dust in the atmosphere is low, the air quality will not deteriorate even if the temperature drops. Therefore, the task force has demanded that the administration should work on the sources of pollutants.
Recommendations of Air Pollution Control Task Force
– Don’t use the funds received for air for other works.
– The number of buses should be increased according to the proportion of the population.
– Purchase of non-electronic vehicles for waste collection is a misuse of funds.
– Burning of garbage in public places should be stopped.
– Need to pay serious attention to increasing waste management.
– Small management and disposal centres should be set up for waste in parks.
– Open burning of garbage should be banned immediately.
– Need the policy to provide cheaper LPG to the weaker sections.
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