Hyderabad: Air pollution in Hyderabad, Vijayawada (Amaravati) and Visakhapatnam has recorded the sharpest increase in material particles (PM) from November 2020 to November 2021, revealing reports by Greenpeace India.
Good in terms of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution, Visakhapatnam is the first and second Hyderabad among most major cities in South India.
The report released on Thursday covers 10 cities in South India including Hyderabad in Telangana and Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam at AP.
The report said that the annual PM10 level in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad exceeded the WHO guidelines that were prescribed from 15 micrograms per cubic meter to six to seven times, Vijayawada exceeded the limit of three to four times.
The Greenpeace report said the high level of pollution despite relatively lower economic activity and vehicle emissions between November 20, 2020, and November 20, 2021, is a very much needed reminder that air pollution is a public health crisis that is not limited to cities in India North.
To arrive at the pollution level, India Greenpeace analyzed air pollution data from the Central Polution Control Board compared it to the national ambient air quality index and air quality guidelines.
The cities learned apart from people in Telugu countries were Bengaluru, Chennai, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Coimbatore, Kochi and Puducherry.
Tracking the level of pollution in your city, analysis shows that the locking induced pandemic and subsequent reduction in economic activities though, the annual average value of PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded the revised standards several times.
Vijayawada saw the annual PM2.5 level exceed WHO guidelines from 5 micrograms per cubic meter by 6 to 7 times.
On the other hand, the annual PM10 level in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad exceeded the prescribed WHO guidelines of 6 to 7 times.
Greenpeace reports blame the air quality that deteriorates on the development of infrastructure, industry, transportation, burning and construction of fossil waste.
It warns that “long-term exposure to air pollution increases the possibility of asthma, low birth weight, depression, schizophrenia, diabetes, strokes, lung cancer, and premature death”.
Avinash Chanchal, the Indian Greenpeace campaign manager, said the lock is not a solution to air pollution.
“The economic activities and relatively lower vehicles also put us in a dangerous position,” Avinash said.
He said that the study of the division of past sources by CPCB indicated that the main contributors of PM2.5 and PM10 in Hyderabad were vehicle pollution.
This contributes around 50% of the total pollution of all sources in the city.