Pune’s air quality slips into ‘poor’ category, doctors advise against early morning outdoors

Pune: The city's air quality slipped into the ‘poor' category with an AQI of 201 on Monday and Tuesday, showed data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)'s air quality early warning and decision support system.Fine particulate matter PM2.5 was identified as the prominent pollutant. Of the 13 air quality monitoring stations in the city, data from eight were considered for the 24-hour average.
Neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad recorded "moderate" air quality with an AQI (Air Quality Index) of 161, again driven largely by PM2.5 levels, the CPCB data showed. However, a forecast issued as per the IITM's air quality early warning and decision support stated that Pune's air quality was likely to be in the moderate category from Dec 24-26.Doctors said the impact of sustained exposure to poor air quality was already being felt — a significant surge in respiratory issues in comparison to the last few years.ENT surgeon Dr Seemab Shaikh told TOI that there had been a marked rise in respiratory complaints over the past few weeks, not only because of continuous single digit temperatures but also rising pollution. "There is a definite increase in all respiratory illnesses because the nose is the entry point for pollutants. Allergic rhinitis, nasal irritation and dry cough are really on the rise. It is worse than what we have seen in the last few years, and there are multiple contributing factors," he said. Dr Shaikh said construction dust, ongoing road work and early morning haze were the key triggers, aggravating symptoms. "Fine dust particles from construction, along with haze, are major irritants. We are advising people to avoid early morning walks and outdoor exercise, especially during winter. This is when pollution levels are at the peak as cold air traps pollutants close to the ground." Dr Santosh Latkar, former president of the Association of ENT Surgeons of India and professor and head of ENT at DY Patil Medical College, Talegaon, said pollution and cold weather together are leading to a sharp rise in ENT-related complaints. He said, "The respiratory system has a natural filtration mechanism in which larger particles—typically above five microns—are filtered in the nose and sinuses. But during winter, haze leads to finer particles remaining suspended in the air. These smaller particles penetrate deeper and trigger inflammation, causing congestion in the nose and paranasal sinuses. As a result, infections of the nasal cavity and sinus infections increase simultaneously."He said, "Cold weather by itself irritates the respiratory mucosa—the delicate inner lining that extends from the nose to the base of the lungs. This mucosa is already stressed by dry, cold air currents, and the addition of pollution makes it far more vulnerable to infections. As a result, doctors are seeing a higher number of patients presenting with sinus infections, common cold symptoms, bronchitis and asthma-like conditions." Dr Latkar said the number of such cases this season was higher than in the last several years. On treatment, he said patients are largely being managed symptomatically for conditions such as sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, while doctors also strongly advise the use of masks and preventive measures. He added that improving public transport usage is critical to reducing pollution load.An IITM official said Pune's air quality began deteriorating from last Thursday, shifting from the moderate to poor category, particularly during night-time hours. The official said, "This is due to the formation of a stable boundary layer—a condition in winter where colder air near the ground gets trapped under a layer of warmer air above it. This prevents vertical mixing and dispersion of pollutants, causing them to accumulate close to the surface."The situation is acute in areas such as Shivajinagar, Katraj and Nigdi, which have high construction activity and heavy road traffic. With night-time temperatures dropping to single digits and wind speeds remaining very low, pollutant dispersion is minimal. As a result, the highest concentrations are typically recorded during early morning hours.Anita Kulkarni, a resident of Aundh, said the worsening air quality has begun affecting her daily routine. "I have been dealing with constant nasal irritation and a dry cough for the past couple of weeks. Stepping out early in the morning feels uncomfortable, and there is a visible haze in the air. Even short walks trigger sneezing and throat irritation, which was not the case earlier," she said.

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