Lucknow residents are breathing ‘very poor’ air

LUCKNOW: It was a day when Lucknowites felt like breathing in Delhi as city’s air quality index (AQI) crossed 300 on Wednesday, the highest of post-monsoon season so far, signifying that it was ‘very poor’.
The air pollution is expected to increase in coming days with further drop in temperature, say experts.

Environmentalists and weather experts held low temperature and poor wind velocity to be main reasons for AQI spike along with rising vehicular pollution, traffic congestion and dug up roads.




Lucknow’s AQI was 307, just 21 less than that of national capital, making the air figure in ‘very poor’ category, denoting that prolonged exposure can lead to severe respiratory illness.

According to air pollution data released by Central Pollution Control Board, Lucknow’s air was polluted mainly with PM10 and PM2.5, harmful small particulate matter with diameter of less than 10 and 2.5 micrometre, respectively.

“Minimum temperature dropping to 15.6 degree Celsius is the main reason for air quality deterioration. Temperature drop and low wind velocity don’t allow particulate matter to disperse which turns the city into a smoke chamber,” said director Prof Dhruv Sen Singh of Lucknow University climate monitoring station.

“Apart from climatic factors, various anthropogenic factors like increase in vehicular population, traffic, massive felling of trees that cannot be ignored,” Singh said.

The air quality has deteriorated early this year. In the first week of October, the AQI reached 250 many times which usually happens towards the month end, said the Control Board.

Times View

Pollution level in the city is expected to increase further in coming days. Last year, city air was most polluted in November and December. The impending health scare can be averted if authorities take immediate action. Since dust has been found to be main pollutant in the air, sprinkling of water on dusty roads, trees and vegetation and the enforcement of National Green Tribunal guidelines can check the dust problem to some extent. Also, ban on open garbage burning should be very strictly enforced. Traffic jams must also be prevented because vehicular exhaust is also one of the major pollution contributors.