Even after the activity of bursting of crackers has reduced after Diwali festival, the air quality measured by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology under its System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) continues to be poor in parts of the city.
As a part of the SAFAR project, an advisory has also been displayed stating that the children and people sensitive to respiratory problems should avoid outdoor activities.
IITM measures the real time air quality at its nine selected locations and based on the quality it gives the status report. The air quality is displayed on digitised boards at various locations which show air quality as good, moderate, poor and critical.
After SAFAR was launched in May 2013, Diwali was the important event in terms of measuring air pollution level caused due to bursting of firecrackers. It showed that the pollution level in most parts of the city was above permissible limit.
On Wednesday, when dna checked the air quality level shown by the SAFAR project, it showed that the air quality of only Bhosari area was showing as good while that in Pashan, Alandi, Katraj and Manjari showed as moderate and in Shivajinagar, Lohegaon, Hadapsar and Nigdi it was of poor quality.
The health advisory states that children and sensitive people are at risk and they should avoid outdoor activities. All other people also may experience some discomfort, it adds.
“Air quality of many of these places is poor because of increase in the level of hazardous particulate matters known as PM 10 and PM 2.5. The reason for maximum concentration of PM at these areas can be due to wind blown dust or dust on the road. The other reason behind increase in the level of PM level is due to increasing pollution level caused by burning of diesel,” said IITM experts.
They also claimed that with winter setting in, the ozone level is likely to concentrate in some areas which can also cause health problems to citizens like sneezing, fatigue and other allergic health problems.
