Multi- pollutants found in 10 cities’ air

Bengaluru, Chennai better placed than Delhi, Lucknow

New Delhi, June 5: An analyis of air quality of 10 state capitals, besides Delhi, during the winter 2017 and in the past two months this summer has showed that they too are in the “dangerous grip” of a multi- pollutant crisis, a green NGO on Tuesday claimed.

The analysed data is part of the State of India’s Environment ( SoE) in Figures 2018, an annual compendium of environmental statistics put together by Down To Earth magazine, which the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) helps publish.

“The national capital is always in the news for its poor air quality. However, an analysis of the winter ( November and December 2017) and summer ( April to May 27, 2018) air quality levels of 10 state capital cities shows they too are in the grip of a multi- pollutant crisis, and are presently facing a severe health challenge,” the CSE claimed in a statement on Tuesday.

While in the summer months, Delhi had “65 per cent days” when poor and very poor air quality was recorded, in winters this percentage increased to 85.

On only “about one per cent” of the monitored days in summer months was the air quality observed to be satisfactory in the city, it said.

“Lucknow fared much worse in the winter months, where very poor air quality was recorded on more than 70 per cent of the monitored days and severe levels of air pollution witnessed on around 24 per cent of the days. Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Chennai, on the other hand, experienced comparatively better air quality,” the statement read.

Anumita Roychowdhury, who has headed the CSE air pollution control team for many years, said, “The SoE in Figures finds a lack of data on air quality in several Indian cities. Even in places where pollution levels are being monitored, gaps in data pose a serious challenge to successful implementation of the National Clean Air Programme ( NCAP).”

Besides, state of air, other categories of the data include state of water, sanitation, energy, forests, and environmental crimes.

“The dependency on groundwater has also increased between the years 2004 and 2013. The non- government organisation in Figures stated that 70,736 rural habitats with a combined population of 47.4 million live on contaminated groundwater,” claimed Suresh Rohilla, the head of CSE’s water management team.

Traces of new contaminants are now being reported in the country, suggesting a decline in the quality of groundwater, he added.