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Kochi Air Quality: Residents Fear Delhi-Like Smog
15 Oct
Summary
- Ambalamugal residents report worsening air quality with dense fog.
- PCB officials deny severe pollution, citing non-functional monitoring stations.
- Environmentalists criticize PCB's ineffectiveness in controlling pollution.
Residents in Ambalamugal, Kochi, have expressed alarm over a noticeable decline in air quality over the past few weeks, reporting thick fog similar to that seen in Delhi. They claim years of industrial pollution have worsened, particularly during cooler months. Concerns have been raised about the alleged ineffectiveness of air monitoring devices at industrial sites, citing a lack of alarms during a major fire incident in March 2023.
Officials from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) in Ernakulam have disputed the severity of the pollution, stating they have no data indicating a poor air quality index. Compounding these concerns, the two primary air quality monitoring stations in Kaloor and Vyttila have reportedly been out of service for two to three years, with manual data collection occurring only in Vyttila. Environmentalists have criticized the PCB for its perceived inaction against polluting industries.
