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Nagpur Choked: Summer Air Pollution Worst in Years
11 Aug
Summary
- Nagpur experienced toxic air for half the summer, exceeding safety standards.
- PM10 levels breached national safety standards on 46 days from March to May.
- Road dust and industrial emissions, including thermal power plants, are key contributors.
Nagpur faced severe air pollution throughout half of its summer, with PM10 levels exceeding national safety standards on 46 days from March to May. This critical air quality situation placed Nagpur among Maharashtra's most polluted cities during this period, significantly worse than Mumbai and Pune, which experienced fewer such days.
The analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air revealed that PM10, inhalable particles small enough to enter the respiratory tract, consistently breached the benchmark. Two of Nagpur's four monitoring stations reported levels above safe limits during the summer months.
Experts point to year-round sources like road dust and emissions from industrial activities, including thermal power plants, as the dominant contributors to PM10. These ongoing issues underscore the need for strict dust-suppressing laws, filtration upgrades, and a transition to cleaner public transport for long-term mitigation.
