Muradpur AQI worst as air quality deteriorates in city

Patna: The city’s air quality deteriorated further with 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 265 on Monday, the highest so far this winter. Of the six monitoring stations located across the city, Muradpur recorded the highest AQI at 323, followed by Samanpura (316), Rajbansi Nagar (310), Danapur (291), Shikarpur (230) and Adalatganj (113). Several cities in the state recorded AQI above 300, including Purnia (339), Rajgir (312), Muzaffarpur (309) and Saharsa (306).According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI above 300 is deemed ‘Very Poor’ and can cause respiratory illnesses on prolonged exposure.Meanwhile, to reduce air pollution, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday announced strict measures to control construction activities in the city. The municipal commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar has issued a 48-hour deadline to all the government and private agencies to remove construction material from the road and to ensure that all construction work is carried out under a green cover.PMC has also deployed anti-smog guns and sprinkler machines to check air pollution in the city. On the other hand, the BSPCB has been organising street plays in seven major cities, including Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur Begusarai, Darbhanga, Motihari and Bhagalpur between November 6 and November 9, aimed at creating awareness among the public about air pollution. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted dry weather across the state during Diwali with the temperature hovering at around 18-20 degrees Celsius in the coming days leading up to the festival. “Dry weather persisted across the state in the last 24 hours. The state recorded a maximum temperature of 32.9°C in Sitamarhii and a minimum temperature of 15.0°C in Gaya,” said Kumar Gaurav, an official at Patna Meteorological Centre. He added, “Westerly and north-westerly winds are prevailing in the state up to 5.8km above sea level. In the next 24 hours, the weather will remain dry and most parts of the state will see mist in the morning, while areas adjoining the Himalayan foothills and a few places in the western parts of the state will experience light to moderate fog.”