SMOG BLANKETS VARANASI, ADJOINING AREAS

VARANASI: Varanasi and adjoining areas remained under smog cover on Wednesday, even as environmental activists blamed the development on firecrackers burst on Diwali and the growing number of vehicles.

Social activist Ekta Shekhar of Climate Agenda, a non-government organisation which works for clean air and environment, said, “People should have been restrained from bursting crackers. But it was not done. As a result, pollution levels increased and resulted in smog.”

On November 14 and November 15, Climate Agenda monitored the air quality at 18 locations, including Ashapur, Pandeypur, Kashi Station, Sarnath and Kachahari, Ravindrapuri and 12 others and prepared a detailed report.

According to the report, Ashapur, Pandeypur, Kashi Station, Sarnath and Kachahari were the top five polluted areas in the city, while Ravindrapuri’s condition was comparatively better.

She said that monitoring revealed that Ashapur remained the most polluted locality where PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentration was 4 and 4.5 times higher, respectively, than the government’s standards.

“The NGT had passed an order for a blanket ban on fire crackers in some cities, including Varanasi. It is disappointing to see that the administration of Varanasi failed miserably in effectively implementing the NGT’s order,” she said.

The report indicated that PM 10 is the major pollutant in Varanasi.

It proves that along with firecrackers, poor waste management, waste-burning by the roadside as well as bumpy roads, are also contributing to the poor state of city air, she said.

She said, “Along with existing Covid-19 cases, the poor air quality will have serious repercussions on the health of children and senior citizens.”