Bhubaneswar, Dec, 29: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Bhubaneswar has crossed the 300 mark. Air pollution has been steadily increasing over the past two weeks. Today at around 1:13 PM, the AQI in Bhubaneswar was recorded at 348, which has become a major cause for concern.
People are inhaling toxic air, which enters the body, mixes with the blood, and leads to various health problems. The level of pollution in urban areas is rising day by day, and it is not being effectively controlled.
With the AQI remaining above 300, the quality of the atmosphere has deteriorated to a very poor level. The main sources contributing to the increasing air pollution include the daily rise in the number of vehicles, emissions from large industrial units, road digging, demolition of old buildings and new construction activities, and soil and debris lying on roads. When vehicles move over such roads, the dust breaks down into fine particles and spreads into the air.
Toxic substances are released from all these waste materials, leading to air pollution. During winter, air movement remains low, causing pollutants to remain trapped in the atmosphere. Due to this, the air quality worsens significantly during this season, said environmental expert Jai Krishna Panigrahi.