Air pollution percentage dips than last year’s in Amritsar

Amritsar, Oct. 22 (Punjab Post Bureau) – Air Quality Data shows decline in pollution level this Diwali in Amritsar as compared to last year’s Diwali in comparison to pollutants increase percentage wise. The Punjab Pollution Control Board has installed 03 monitoring stations in Amritsar for measuring the concentration of pollutants during Diwali festival i.e. at residential, commercial & sensitive area and has also installed a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station at Sri Darbar Sahib.

            The increase in Air Quality Index (AQI) in Amritsar during 2016 Diwali season was found to be 64% (from 165 Pre Diwali to 271 During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the rise was only 28% (from 247 Pre Diwali to 318 During Diwali) which shows decline in air pollution level this Diwali than of the year 2016.

            The concentration of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) for station at Golden Temple in the year 2016 during Diwali festival showed increase of 273% (from 86 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 321 µg/Nm³ During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the increase was only 30% (from 323 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 423 µg/Nm³ During Diwali). The concentration of Nitrogen Oxide gases was noted to be 328% (from 14 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 60 µg/Nm³ During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the rise was only 97% (from 37 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 73 µg/Nm³ During Diwali). Also, the Sulphur Dioxide gas concentration increase was 450% in 2016 (from 4 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 22 µg/Nm³ During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the rise was only 26.6% (from 6 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 7.6 µg/Nm³ During Diwali).

            The data for average concentration of pollutants in Amritsar city for three different locations other than station at Golden Temple was monitored and it was found that the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) increase in 2016 was 176% (from 168 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 288 µg/Nm³ During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the rise was only 30% (from 240 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 312 µg/Nm³ During Diwali). The average NOx increase in 2016 was noted to be 86.5% (from 26 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 48.5 µg/Nm³ During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the rise was only 59% (from 34 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 54 µg/Nm³ During Diwali). Also, the Sulphur Dioxide gas concentration was monitored and increase in the year 2016 was found to be 111% (from 9 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 19 µg/Nm³ During Diwali) and whereas during this Diwali season the rise was only 55.5% (from 9 µg/Nm³ Pre Diwali to 14 µg/Nm³ During Diwali).

            Spokesman of PPCB indicated that level of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) in the air this year has been higher than the last year because of low level of air dispersion due to very low wind velocity and early harvesting of paddy crop.

            He further stated that incidents of paddy straw burning recorded about 3 times increase in the number of incidents on Diwali day as 1188 as compare to average of 400 per day incidents on pre Diwali days.