Dust pollution remains alarming in city

The Assam Tribune , Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Correspondent : Staff reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 30 – The problem of dust pollution continues to aggravate in the city, exposing its citizens to a grave health hazard. It is because together with vehicular emissions, the dust particles form a toxic haze that hangs over the atmosphere for a prolonged period.

Periodical monitoring of the city’s ambient air quality by the Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA) reveals a high presence of both respirable particulate matter (RPM) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the air, often crossing the permissible limits.

The permissible limits for SPM and RPM are 200 micrograms per metre cubic and 100 micrograms per metre cubic respectively.

Degradation of the city hills leading to accumulation of loose soil on the roads following rain, the boom in construction activities and the failure to maintain the norms aimed atchecking dust pollution, growing vehicular movement and emission, have combined to worsen the dust pollution in Guwahati.

“Dust pollution in the city has been showing a worrying trend for the past few years. This is evident from the monitoring by the ambient air quality monitoring stations located in different parts of the city,” a PCBA official said.

The official, while attributing the dust pollution to several factors including the city’s topography surrounded by hills, said that dust pollution normally showed a rising trend during the winter as there is less rainfall to clean the atmosphere.

As per ambient air quality checks by the PCBA, the period from November to March shows higher presence of SPM and RPM in the air than what is seen the rest of the year.

However, even during the rainy season the problem persists because of the peculiar phenomenon of deposition of loose earth from the denuded hills on the drains and roads by rainwater.

For the residents of areas such as Chandmari and Silpukhuri, more rains often mean more dust pollution. “Heavy rains are certainly causing more dust pollution in our area because of accumulation of loose soil on the roads, and the problem is worsening by the day,” a resident said.

Besides monitoring, the PCBA recommends measures to the offenders for reducing air pollution. “We ask the Guwahati Refinery to maintain fuel quality and also arrange free pollution check-ups for vehicles. For checking vehicular pollution, however, the administration and the Transport Department should display greater commitment,” theofficial said.

Significantly, and what is having a worsening effect on the city’s pollution, the government authorities were not giving much attention to implement a 21-point action plan recommended by the PCBA for reducing vehicular pollution in the city.

Another factor contributing to the growing pollution levels in recent years has been the haphazard urbanization process that cares little about maintaining even the basic norms of checking dust pollution during construction is another factor aggravating the situation.

Trucks carrying earth, sand, stone, etc., without any cover on those has also been a major cause of the city’s dust pollution.

 
SOURCE : http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jan3112/city06
 


Back to pevious page



The NetworkAbout Us  |  Our Partners  |  Concepts   
Resources :  Databases  |  Publications  |  Media Guide  |  Suggested Links
Happenings :  News  |  Events  |  Opinion Polls  |  Case Studies
Contact :  Guest Book  |  FAQs |  Email Us