As winter knocks the door in Gujarat and pollution levels rise, Ahmedabad yearns for a breath of fresh air.
Ahead of Diwali, a concerning rise has been noted in poisonous and toxic particles in Ahmedabad’s air.
While Delhi’s air quality remained ‘very poor’ with an AQI of 343, on Nov 1, the AQI of Ahmedabad reached 200, rating ‘moderate’, with toxic particles in it.
Vulnerable East Ahmedabad
On Nov 1, the AQI was the highest in Gyaspur (182), Rakhiyal (165), Bodakdev (153), Ghuma (152), Shahibaug (112), and Maninagar (139).
Notably, Ahmedabad has not witnessed a single day of ‘healthy’ AQI across October. With the festival of lights around the corner, pollution from industries might turn into alarming pollution levels this month.
The pollution levels may cause difficulties in breathing for people with prolonged exposure and discomfort for people with heart and lung disease.
Despite crores of expenditures, it appears that the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) administration is ineffective in the state.
Moreover, the Supreme Court on Oct 31 issued notices to five states, including the national capital Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, to provide a detailed account of the measures implemented to combat the problem of air pollution.