New Delhi: Amid Delhi-NCR choking under deteriorating air quality, data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Tuesday placed Aizawl (Mizoram) and Shillong (Meghalaya) at the very top of the table of Indian cities with the lowest pollution, with both having an AQI of 21.
The two North-Eastern cities were followed by Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu (36), Karnataka's Bagalkot (39), and Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. Toppling Delhi as a guessable first when it comes to the poorest air quality, Bihar's Katihar grabbed the first place with an AQI of 360. The capital ranked second at 354, followed by neighbouring Haryana's Faridabad (338), Siwan (331) in Bihar, and Noida (328).
Also read: Study: Inhaled toxic particles take direct route from lungs to brain
Meanwhile, a study into state-level aerosol pollution by researchers from Bose Institute, Kolkata on Tuesday forecast a 20 percent rise in the category in Punjab for 2023.
The state, which has faced debates around the annual burning of stubble by farmers, can see its Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), already at a level of 0.5 and in the red (vulnerable) zone, pushed further up, the study noted. AOD is a quantitative estimate of the aerosol present in the atmosphere and it can be used as a proxy measurement of PM2.5.
The Delhi government on Monday decided to reopen schools, days after moving classes for standards 1 to 8 completely online. The operation of S-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital will remain banned under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai told a press conference.
