For the previous few days, Guwahati’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has been deteriorating.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI of Guwahati on February 1 was 291 based on PM2.5.
The CPCB classified Guwahati’s deteriorating air quality as ‘poor’ on Tuesday, also people’s mobile weather applications have labelled the city’s AQI as ‘unhealthy,’ recommending them to stay indoors.
However, following Tuesday night’s showers, the city’s air quality improved slightly on Wednesday, February 2.
Notably, in a survey undertaken by the Delhi-based not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Guwahati topped the list of the most polluted cities in the region.
For the previous three years, Guwahati’s yearly average PM2.5 level has consistently been substantially higher than the national average.
While India’s annual average level has been 40 microgrammes per cubic metre (ug/m3) for the past three years, Guwahati’s annual PM2.5 standard has been 56 ug/m3 in 2019, 62 ug/m3 in 2020 and 60 ug/m3 in 2021.
The weekly PM2.5 levels increase noticeably throughout the winter months.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a type of air pollution that reduces visibility and makes the air appear hazy when concentrations are high. PM2.5 is an air pollutant that is hazardous to people’s health when concentrations are high.
“Earlier we measured only PM10, which is coarse particles. When such particles are inhaled, it remains in the lungs. But the finer PM2.5 particles get distributed in the bloodstream, which is even more unhealthy,” said a prominent scientist from Assam’s Pollution Control Board while speaking with G Plus.
