CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh, popularly known as city beautiful, is the most polluted city of the country even more than Delhi. The air quality of the city is between 'very poor' to 'severe category' as city's skyline is covered in blanket of smog for most of the day on Friday and Saturday.
According to a report of Chandigarh Pollution control committee, the average ait quality Index (AQI) of Chandigarh was measured at 374 (5 PM) on Saturday and 364 on Friday. The air pollution is poor quality for almost whole of the last week.
Besides Chandigarh the cour other cities with worst air pollution are Baddi (365) in Himachal pradesh, Saharsa (365), Delhi (329) and Rupnagar in Punjab 328. In the yearly (2023) report Chandigrh stands at 17th place among most polluted cities of country.
Two secotrs 22 and 53 are have recorded the highest air pollution of 400 AQI which is severe level. The air monitoring station in Sector 22 has shown the highest air pollution level of 399 and lowest was 363 on Saturday. On Friday air quality level was between 310 to 363 in sector 22.
The sector 53 monitorin station has recorded average AQI at 401, the maximum 426 and minimum 378. In sector 25 air monitoring station the air quality was in poor category on Saturday where AQI was between 301 to 341 with average of 321.
In totality, the air pollution levels of whole Chandigarh city were hasardous for the human beings. The dust particles in the air are at high ratio.
The basic reasons, according to MC officials for poor ait quality are dust creation, open burning of firewood or leafs etc, construction of roads, high density of private vehicles, construction material and solid waste lying in the open, fires in dumping grounds.
The experts said that MC shall strictly enforce C and D waste by laws in the UT, ensure intensive sprinkking of water on roads, increase mechanical cleaning and vilance at dumping grounds.