Air Pollution Alarming in 5 Places in Odisha, Angul AQI Higher than New Delhi

Bhubaneswar: Five places in Odisha continue to have ‘very poor’ with the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI in Angul (357) remains higher than in New Delhi (343).

According to the Air Quality Index released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 4.00 pm on Tuesday, the AQI in Balasore was 338, while that in Baripada was 321, and it was 334 in Bhubaneswar and 338 in Cuttack. The air quality in all these places has been categorised as ‘very poor’.

An AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality. Prolonged exposure to “very poor” AQI is likely to cause respiratory illness, as per the CPCB.

Air quality deterioration in Angul is attributed to the presence of coal dust in the air. Coal dust escapes into the air during transportation in Angul district re making the air polluted.

Dense fog, rampant construction and industrial activities, traffic, and other environmental issues add to the deteriorating air quality.