7 towns in Odisha record AQI of more than 300

At least seven places in Odisha registered an Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 300 as suspended particulate matter deteriorated the air quality triggering concerns over human health.
State Pollution Control Board officials said of the 20 places in the country that recorded AQI of more than 300, Odisha had 7 with the industrial town of Angul recording AQI of 357. Cuttack was the second most polluted town with AQI of 342 while both Bhubaneswar and Balasore had AQI of 336. Rairangpur, hometown of President Droupadi Murmu, recorded AQI of 304.
AQI is a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.
“The air pollution level which usually remains ‘satisfactory’ plunged to ‘polluted’ due to winter. The spike in AQI is mostly due to dust pollution emanating from road and building construction. Lack of dispersion of pollutants due to temperature inversion is also another reason. We expect the AQI to improve in next few days,” said K Murugesan, member secretary of Odisha State Pollution Control Board.
Air pollution in Odisha is in bad shape due to factors such as heavy vehicular movement and construction work. Environmentalists are also of the opinion that rapid industrialisation, felling of trees, and the impact of greenhouse gases have led to an increase in environmental pollution.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in its hearing on November 10, 2018 observed that in Odisha, the primary reasons of air pollution are vehicular emission, road dust, industrial pollution, pollution from construction, and demolition work. The NGT direction among others has said that the Action Plans by the state should take into account the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan), and the CAP (Comprehensive Action Plan) and the action plan prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Widely available national and global health evidence shows that when criteria pollutants, including PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SO2, and ozone—exceed the standards or breach higher levels, it can have immediate trigger effect on health conditions related to cardiac and respiratory ailments and strokes. Even short duration exposure to high levels can increase rate of illness among vulnerable and emergency hospital admissions and cause early deaths.
In 2017, the first ever state-level disease burden estimates released by IHME, ICMR and PHFI showed that air pollution ranks as the second-largest risk factor responsible for the premature deaths in Odisha. In the disease profile of the state, ischaemic heart disease and lower respiratory infections have been identified as the leading cause of productive life year’s loss in Odisha. These diseases are greatly influenced by air pollution. University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index suggested that residents in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar could live 2.7 years longer if the government meets the WHO air quality standards.