UP cities record worst air quality across country
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh cities located in NCR — Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida — recorded worst air quality across the country on Friday.
The cities recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) of 423, 420 and 415 respectively as per the data released by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
An AQI above 401 is considered severe and is known to have harmful impact on the health of people on exposure.
Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, was the major pollutant at these places, as per the report.
Other UP cities such as Agra, Baghpat, Kanpur and Meerut also recorded AQI over 301, which is considered ‘very poor.’
The AQI of state capital Lucknow also hovered near 300 mark for most part of the day. The AQI in Lucknow has remained above 300 mark on most days after October 1 last year despite the claims of efforts being taken by local administrations and municipal corporations.
In Lucknow, Gomti Nagar and Hazratganj areas recorded the highest AQI in the city followed by Talkatora.
“In areas like Gomti Nagar and Hazratganj, the pollution is caused by human activities, vehicular movement and constriction work whereas in Talkatora industrial emissions are major contributors towards the AQI. The ongoing construction work in public places by government agencies which is done in many parts of the city is also a major reason why poor AQI was recorded,” said Ram Karan, regional officer (RO), Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).
In the wake of the depleting air quality, the UPPCB has started issuing warning to commercial units in Lucknow and Kanpur for not following guidelines to reduce air pollution, officials said.