With the onset of winter, Nagpur’s air quality has significantly deteriorated, with the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently touching ‘Poor’ levels over the past few days. On Wednesday, AQI readings from four Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the city exceeded 200, indicating unhealthy air conditions.
The monitoring stations at Ram Nagar, Government Post Office (GPO), Town Hall in Mahal, and Ambazari reported poor air quality, with Mahal recording the highest AQI at 216. Ram Nagar and Ambazari both recorded AQI levels of 210, while the GPO station reported 192. On Tuesday, Ram Nagar saw an AQI high of 241, marking a sharp decline in air quality.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) installed three of these CAAQMS stations last year as part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to monitor air pollution. However, the real-time data from these stations has been unavailable to the public for several days.
During winter, Nagpur’s air quality often degrades due to the accumulation of dust particles in the lower atmosphere, compounded by emissions from garbage burning, vehicles, industries, and household chulhas.
The city’s pollution levels have raised concerns, as citizens face increasingly poor air quality, particularly during the colder months.