Angul Air More Polluted than Delhi, 6 Odisha Cities Among India’s 16 Cities With Most Polluted Air

Bhubaneswar: It may sound unbelievable, but air pollution in Angul in Odisha has exceeded that of Delhi. In terms of the Air Quality Index (AQI), six cities of Odisha are now on the list of the 16 most polluted cities in India.

The Odisha cities that have found a place in the list of 16 cities with the worst AQI in India are- Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Angul, Balasore, Keonjhar and Talcher. All these places recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 300 on January 8. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI between 301 and 400 is regarded as very poor and it can lead to respiratory problems.

On January 8, the AQI in Angul was 352, while it was 345 in  Delhi, which is infamous for air pollution. Cuttack was the second most polluted city in Odisha with an AQI of 340. Bhubaneswar and Balasore recorded AQI of 334 each, Keonjhar and Talcher registered AQI of 326 and 304 respectively.

An AQI of 50 or lower represents good air quality while an AQI value over 300 states hazardous air quality.

In Odisha, major causes of air pollution are vehicular exhaust, road dust, industrial pollution, pollution from construction, demolition work, felling of trees and the impact of greenhouse gases. Recent fog has added to the air pollution.