‘Decline in Kashi’s air quality alarming’
VARANASI: Deterioration of the air quality in the temple town began in first week of October with alarming rise in the PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles. Quoting air quality data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), chief campaigner of Care4Air campaign Ekta Shekhar made this revelation here on Friday.
The national ambient air quality monitoring machines set up by the CPCB in four UP cities, including Varanasi, collected the data between October 1 and November 9, she said.
“The PM 10 and PM 2.5, both hazardous particles, increased 3 times and 5 times respectively above WHO’s permissible limit (WHO says 50 and 25 microgram per cubic metre is the permissible limit for PM 10 and PM 2.5 respectively) in first week of October,” she said at a press conference. “The hazardous particles continued to grow in October second week in which PM 10 was 10 times and PM 2.5 was 14 times higher than the permissible limits. Previous 15 days have been very dangerous to human health and the administration seems to have turned a blind eye to this” Shekhar added.
Care4Air, under its ongoing campaign Climate Agenda, examined air quality during a survey started on October 1.
For addressing the possible reasons and probable solutions, Shekhar said Varanasi did not possess a good waste disposal mechanism that left trash burning as the only way to dispose of the waste. Roads are bumpy across the city which produce dust particles and contribute a lot in daylong traffic jams across the city. Leaving out e-rickshaws, 95% of the existing transport system depends on petroleum products.