Air pollution peaks in Bhubaneswar after Diwali: Who to blame?

Air pollution in Odisha Capital Bhubaneswar peaked on Sunday night and persisted through Monday.

Reportedly, pollution from firecrackers was so high that an artificial cloud was created over the skies of Bhubaneswar creating an illusion of dense fog on Tuesday morning.

Environmentalist, Jayakrushna Panigrahi said, “People are doing enormous harm to the environment and subsequently to their health even after knowing everything. From Delhi to Bhubaneswar, air quality has severely deteriorated after unabated explosion of firecrackers during Diwali.”

Pollution is s slow poison. People need to be aware about this. The AQI has crossed 900 in some areas of Delhi, warranting a health emergency. Not only the people, the authorities are clearly responsible for this. If a rule or court order is being flouted, they should have booked some people and penalised them so that people should have a fear of law, he said.

"Even in Bhubaneswar, the AQI was recorded between 300 and 400 in some places. It is particularly hazardous because there is no wind flow during November which makes the polluting particles to float more time in the air. It makes us inhale the polluted air for longer duration making us sick on the long run," he added.

AQI as 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.

AQI 0 to 50 (Good)

Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.

AQI 51 to 100 (Moderate)

Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

AQI 101 to 150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)

Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.

151 to 200 (Unhealthy)

Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.

201 to 300 (Very Unhealthy)

Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.

AQI 301 and higher (Hazardous)

Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police had put restrictions on the bursting of firecrackers in the twin cities during the Diwali celebration on Sunday.

Restrictions were imposed on bursting crackers with noise levels of more than 125 decibels. Moreover, the Police had appealed to denizens to use green crackers to keep the environment free from pollution.

However, after looking at the pollution level in Bhubaneswar, it will be safe to say that neither people give two hoots to the police order nor the police have the willingness to enforce the law on the ground.