This story is from November 26, 2019

Patna tops air pollution chart, Muzaffarpur follows

Patna’s air was most polluted in the country on Monday as the air quality index (AQI) in the city clocked 404, which falls in “severe” category.
Patna tops air pollution chart, Muzaffarpur follows
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PATNA: Patna’s air was most polluted in the country on Monday as the air quality index (AQI) in the city clocked 404, which falls in “severe” category.
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According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which releases the daily AQI bulletin of around 95 cities in the country, severe air quality affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

With an AQI of 393, Muzaffarpur emerged as the second most polluted city in the country on Monday. The air in Muzaffarpur fell in “very poor” category, which, according to CPCB, can lead to respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.
Patna and Muzaffarpur have been witnessing highly polluted air since the advent of winter conditions around Diwali.
The AQI is an assessment of the air quality taking into account eight pollutants – PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns), PM 10 (particulate matter less than 10 microns), nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and lead.
PM 2.5, according to experts, is the biggest contributor to
air pollution in Patna and Muzaffarpur. As per the automatic air quality monitoring station at Indira Gandhi Science Complex, the average level of concentration of PM 2.5 on Monday was measured at 240 micrograms per cubic metre.
Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) chairman Ashok Kumar Ghosh attributed surge in AQI to combined impact of several factors, including bio-mass burning, low temperature, high level of moisture and low wind velocity.
“The level of major pollutants, primarily PM 2.5, has not increased much, but the variables have changed lately. Local factors, such as burning of wood and dry fodder in the neighbouring villages along with gradual plunge in temperature and high level of humidity have aggravated the situation,” Ghosh told TOI.
“As per comprehensive clean air action plan for Patna, which was released last week, domestic burning contributes 2% of the total air pollution in the city. People continue to use earthen stoves for cooking purpose and burn wood or coal despite getting free LPG connection under Ujjwala scheme because they can’t afford to refill it. People also burn dry leaves and fodder in the villages to keep themselves warm amid the plunging mercury. All these factors are responsible for severe air pollution in Patna,” Ghosh added.
Asked about the preventive steps being taken to curb air pollution, Ghosh said, “CM Nitish Kumar had recently issued several directives to the officials concerned to curb air pollution in the city. However, implementation of the measures recommended by the state government is not up to the mark. We will hold another inter-departmental meeting under the chairmanship of chief secretary to work on this front.”
Ghosh said four new ambient air quality monitoring stations would become functional at different locations in the state capital by December 10. “As of now, the air quality monitoring in Patna is being done by one station only. The four new stations will help us get a holistic representation of the air quality in the city,” he added.
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