Muzaffarpur, Patna air most polluted in country

PATNA/MUZAFFARPUR: Patna and Muzaffarpur once again topped the list of cities in the country in terms of worst air quality on Monday.

Muzaffarpur recorded the highest air quality index (AQI) in the country for the second consecutive day on Monday. The AQI at Muzaffarpur increased from 315 on Sunday to 330 on Monday.

Patna’s AQI, on the other hand, increased from 309 on Sunday to 323 on Monday. In terms of ranking, the state capital was at the third position in the country on Sunday and second position on Monday.

The AQI of Patna and Muzaffarpur came under “very poor” category, which can lead to respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.

PM 2.5 or particulate matter less than 2.5 microns, which can invade lungs and even cause cancer, have been found to be the biggest contributor to the poor air quality in Patna and Muzaffarpur. The level of PM 2.5 in Patna on Monday evening hovered around 150 micrograms per cubic metre, which was around two-and-a-half times higher than the normal of 60 micrograms per cubic metre.

Officials at Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) attributed the plunge in air quality to decrease in temperature. “The decreasing temperature is creating thermal inversion, which is not allowing the pollutants to escape in the upper layer of atmosphere. The AQI also depends on wind speed. Higher wind speed can disburse the pollutants,” BSPCB public relations officer Birendra Kumar said.

Experts in Muzaffarpur attributed the reason for very poor air quality in the town to use of kerosene-operated diesel generator sets and lamps. “One litre kerosene produces nearly 2.5kg of polluting gases. Most houses in Muzaffarpur are being lit by electricity generated by the kerosene-operated diesel generators in case of power cuts. Even the industrial units at Bela in the town are being operated by these generator sets. These are the reasons behind such a high level pollution,” said Sushil Kumar, teacher at government polytechnic college, Muzaffarpur.

Meanwhile, Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) issued an order for closure of 22 industrial units located either in the industrial areas or other places of the town.

Medical experts expressed their concern over the high level of pollution in the town. Civil surgeon-cum-chief medical officer of the Sadar hospital of Muzaffarpur Dr S P Singh said, “More than 35,000 people have been diagnosed with respiratory or throat problems, while 50,000 people have so far visited different government hospitals with skin diseases from January 1, 2018 to October 31 this year. This data may go up if it is complied with records from private hospitals and nursing homes,” he said.

BSPCB orders closure of brick kilns: Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has ordered closure of altogether 10 brick kilns in Patna district for emitting harmful gases. BSPCB officials had inspected these brick kilns on November 12 and 13. As per a statement issued by BSPCB on Monday, a copy of the closure direction has also been sent to Patna DM to ensure its implementation.