The pollution watchdog in Bihar, where a number of towns continue to figure on top of the list of the most polluted urban areas of the country, has blamed geographical factors for the toxic air.
At a press conference in Patna on Tuesday, S Chandrashekhar, member secretary of the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB), gave a presentation to highlight various causes behind the rise in AQI and suggested measures.
Explaining the geographical factors behind the rise in air pollution, he said, “The Indo-Gangetic Plain sites have high pollution because the Himalayas form a natural barrier to cleaner air in northern India. Cold air from the Himalayas prevents the warmer air dispersing north into Tibet. Besides, the burning of crops during October and November, coupled with slow winds from the northwest, push the polluted air into the plains of northern India.”
Chandrashekhar said agriculture stubble burning in Bihar has also jumped by up to 70% this month.
Officials of BSPCB said a graded response action plan is required to control the local concentration of emissions. They said people should maintain vehicles properly to keep pollution under control, replacing car filters etc while uses of diesel generators should be minimised. People suffering from heart disease and asthma may consider avoiding undue exposure during the rise in air pollution, they said.
Meanwhile, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data for Tuesday, Begusarai remained the most polluted town in the country with an air quality index (AQI) of 460, followed by Buxar 439, Chapra 419, Darbhanga 427, Motihari 418 and Siwan 454 — all in “severe” category.
AQI level in other town of the state also reached the upper end of “very poor”. Muzaffarpur recorded an AQI of 378, Bihar Sharif 367 and Samastipur 350. The capital city Patna recorded an AQI of 348.
The CPCB classifies an AQI of zero to 50 as ‘good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate’, 201-300 as ‘poor’, 301-400 as ‘very poor’ and above 401 as ‘severe’.
Gopalganj remained the only place in the state where AQI stood 77 and classified under ‘satisfactory’ category.
A number of towns in Bihar have been on top of the list of most polluted urban areas in the country in recent days.
