PANAJI
Air quality in Goa has slipped to 'poor' on a national weather meter, beating the otherwise polluted cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
The real-time Air Quality Index for Panaji stood at 123 around 9 pm on Friday while the coastal areas of Mapusa and Pernem recorded 125, and Ponda at 133. The overall air quality was classified as 'poor'.
Even the capital Delhi and India's financial capital Mumbai recorded 109 and 115 air quality whereas Bangalore recorded 54.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good"; 51 and 100 "satisfactory"; 101 and 200 "moderate"; 201 and 300 "poor"; 301 and 400 "very poor"; and 401 and 500 "severe".
Panaji, which has been reporting AQI at 100 or above for the last few days, is already facing the heat of the haphazard works undertaken by Smart City. The dust pollution owing to the ongoing works and vehicular pollution has added to the pollution.
A report from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the year 2021 indicated alarming level of pollution despite Panaji being a coastal city with the advantage of sea breeze to clear the air.
The capital city ranked 230 among 389 cities of the country in terms of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) concentrations while eight other places including two industrial unit zones and a sub-town also had PM 10 levels above the safe 60 µg/m3.
These places included Cuncolim 67, Usgao-Pale 64, Ponda 63, Codli 62, Kundaim 62, Tilamol 62, Bicholim 61 and Honda 61.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board had also stated that pollution levels crossed the ‘red mark’ in the state’s mining belt, Panaji, and rural areas in Kundaim.
The live air quality index forecast has often identified Goa as unhealthy for sensitive groups, though moderate category was reported after Feb 16.
