Air quality in Delhi slips to ‘severe’ category; Odisha's Twin City in this category

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was ‘severe’ during the last 24 hours, with an index value recorded at 409 and the major pollutant found was PM2.5, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) sources said on Sunday. However, the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in Odisha witnessed a ‘good’ AQI rating.

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Bhubaneswar had an index value of 50 and the major pollutants found were CO and O3. Similarly, Cuttack had an index value of 44 and the major pollutant found was O3.

Angul recorded a ‘satisfactory’ air quality with an index value of 66 and the major pollutant found was PM10.

AQI of other places in the State were: Balasore (air quality-good, index value-40, and major pollutant found-PM10), Barbil (air quality-satisfactory, index value-82, and major pollutant found-PM10), Baripada (air quality-good, index value-49, and major pollutant found-PM2.5), Bileipada (air quality-satisfactory, index value-68, and major pollutant found-PM10), Brajarajnagar (air quality- satisfactory, index value-59, and major pollutant found-PM10), Byasanagar (air quality-good, index value-49, and major pollutant found-O3), Keonjhar (air quality-good, index value-36, and major pollutant found-O3), Rairangpur (air quality-good, index value-24, and major pollutant found-PM10), Rourkela (air quality-satisfactory, index value-90, and major pollutant found-PM10), and Suakati (air quality-good, index value-46, and major pollutant found-O3).

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Worth mentioning, breathing clean air lessens the possibility of stroke, heart attack, cardiac arrest, lung cancer as well as chronic and acute respiratory ailments such as asthma. Lower levels of air pollution are better for heart and respiratory health, both in the long and short terms.