Hyderabad: Over the past few months, the dust levels in the city have gone up two times above the normal limit, it has been revealed.
The area around Paradise recorded the highest value of 160 micrograms/m3, while the permissible level is around 60 micrograms/m3. Officials have blamed election campaigns across the city, Metro construction works and the burning of garbage for the rise in Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter levels and the reduced quality of ambient air.
At places like Paradise and Punjagutta, dust levels hit a high of 160 and 120 micrograms, whereas the permissible limits as per the Central Pollution Control Board is just 60 micrograms/m3. At Abids, the RSPM levels touched 134 micrograms/m3 in April as compared to 93 in March. In the same period, particulate matter count rose from 102 to 130 in
Charminar, from 93 to 120 in Punjagutta and from 115 to 160 near Paradise.
“As per the recommendations of the Dr Bhure Lal Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court to look in pollution in 16 major cities, we have been implementing measures such as reduction of sulphur in the air, synchronisation of traffic, avoiding adulteration of fuel and also the induction of the Metro rail. The only pending issue remains the switch into CNG vehicles, which cannot happen due to insufficient availability of the gas,” said Veeranna Patil, a scientist at the AP Pollution Control Board.
Ruchita Bansal, programme officer, Air Pollution Control unit, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “The continuous polling activity and digging up of roads for the Metro are the major reasons for this. Also, summer has a tendency to increase the Suspended Particulate Matter levels.”
