Munger tops national list with cleanest air
Patna: Bihar witnessed a remarkable air quality moment on Saturday as Munger recorded the lowest air quality index (AQI) in the entire country, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin.
Munger posted an impressive AQI of 29, placing it at the top of the cleanest cities list nationwide owing to favourable climatic conditions. It was followed by Srinagar with 35, and Nagaon in Assam, Madikeri in Karnataka and Maihar in Madhya Pradesh, all recording an AQI of 37.
Two other cities in Bihar also featured among the cleaner towns. Rajgir recorded an AQI of 43 while Kishanganj stood at 50. All these readings fall within the ‘good’ category, indicating minimal air pollution and healthy breathing conditions for residents.
The improvement in Munger, Rajgir and Kishanganj offers a welcome contrast to Bihar’s usual challenges with seasonal pollution. Experts attribute such low AQI levels to favourable meteorological conditions such as good wind speed, recent rainfall and reduced local emissions.
In contrast, Patna recorded an overall AQI of 101 on Saturday — an improvement from 137 on Friday — placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. Data from various continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations across the city showed significant variation. The readings included 96 at the DRM office in Khagaul, 125 at Samanpura, 110 at Patna City, 114 at Muradpur and 61 at Rajbanshi Nagar.
Of the 12 other cities in Bihar, 11 were in the satisfactory zone (AQI between 51 and 100), with Sasaram recording 52, Motihari 53, Bettiah 53, Araria 54 and Katihar 58. Apart from Patna, Aurangabad was also in the moderate zone with an AQI reading of 102.
Chairman of Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) Devendra Kumar Shukla attributed the improved air quality to favourable weather conditions across the state.
“Favourable weather conditions have helped disperse the pollutants effectively in the air,” he said. He added that according to meteorologists, the air quality is likely to remain good for the next three days due to rain and windy conditions.
According to the Patna Meteorological Centre, rain is expected at one or two places in the eastern parts of the state on March 29. Hailstorm is likely at a few places in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur, while thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and strong winds reaching 40–50 kmph are likely in eastern parts of Bihar on March 29.
Munger posted an impressive AQI of 29, placing it at the top of the cleanest cities list nationwide owing to favourable climatic conditions. It was followed by Srinagar with 35, and Nagaon in Assam, Madikeri in Karnataka and Maihar in Madhya Pradesh, all recording an AQI of 37.
Two other cities in Bihar also featured among the cleaner towns. Rajgir recorded an AQI of 43 while Kishanganj stood at 50. All these readings fall within the ‘good’ category, indicating minimal air pollution and healthy breathing conditions for residents.
The improvement in Munger, Rajgir and Kishanganj offers a welcome contrast to Bihar’s usual challenges with seasonal pollution. Experts attribute such low AQI levels to favourable meteorological conditions such as good wind speed, recent rainfall and reduced local emissions.
In contrast, Patna recorded an overall AQI of 101 on Saturday — an improvement from 137 on Friday — placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. Data from various continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations across the city showed significant variation. The readings included 96 at the DRM office in Khagaul, 125 at Samanpura, 110 at Patna City, 114 at Muradpur and 61 at Rajbanshi Nagar.
Of the 12 other cities in Bihar, 11 were in the satisfactory zone (AQI between 51 and 100), with Sasaram recording 52, Motihari 53, Bettiah 53, Araria 54 and Katihar 58. Apart from Patna, Aurangabad was also in the moderate zone with an AQI reading of 102.
Chairman of Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) Devendra Kumar Shukla attributed the improved air quality to favourable weather conditions across the state.
“Favourable weather conditions have helped disperse the pollutants effectively in the air,” he said. He added that according to meteorologists, the air quality is likely to remain good for the next three days due to rain and windy conditions.
According to the Patna Meteorological Centre, rain is expected at one or two places in the eastern parts of the state on March 29. Hailstorm is likely at a few places in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur, while thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and strong winds reaching 40–50 kmph are likely in eastern parts of Bihar on March 29.
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