AQI ache: Air clogs up with pollutants in year-end

BHOPAL: The air quality of Bhopal on many occasions in the past ten days remained poor. Not even once, the air quality remained satisfactory. The air quality of the city ranged between moderate to poor category.
On five out of the past ten days, the air quality of Bhopal remained poor, which means breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure.
Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board Bhopal officials said, the air quality deteriorated during the night. When its cause was looked into, it came to light that the people burn tyres and plastic during cold nights. It led to pollution levels going up. It was also conveyed to the Bhopal municipal corporation to check the people from doing so, officials added.
There are two online real time air quality monitoring stations in TT Nagar and Paryavaran Parisar while in five places, the air quality is monitored manually. Slum dwellers burn tyres and plastic at night and waste that led to increase in the pollution levels during this time of the year, officials added.
Experts pointed out that the weather also plays a role in the air quality. Meteorological department, Bhopal circle officials said, during this time of the year northerly winds from Punjab and Delhi blows over the state due to which the air quality index of MP cities could go up to 20 per cent. Second reason is that air pollutants come closer when the temperature falls. From the mid troposphere, it comes to the low troposphere, which leads to an increase in pollution levels.
Officials said, damaged roads, flying dust from vehicles and increase in construction activities after showers leads to increase in the pollution levels. Besides, bonfires during winters lead to air pollution. Dust gets heavy in showers and does not fly in the air.
The vehicular pollution also gets down as tyres could not lead to flying of pollutants and dust in air, as it settles down on ground. It is the reason why pollution levels come down during rains, officials added.
Air quality is measured taking into account the levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (Nox), RSPM10 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air. Of the four, officials said, PM2.5 is the most harmful to health and causes severe lung diseases.
PM 10 is due to dust, construction, including building of roads while PM2.5 is due to dust, human activity and climatic conditions.