Ambient Air
Quality and Noise Levels monitoring
National Tele24 News
Chandigarh
Chandigarh, 8th November,
2018: The Chandigarh
Pollution Control Committee monitored Ambient Air Quality and Noise Levels at 3
different locations {i.e. Sector 22 (Residential Zone), Punjab Engineering College,
Sector 12 (Silence Zone) and Sector 17 (Commercial Zone)} in Chandigarh on
01.11.2018 (Thursday) a week before Diwali and on 07.11.2018 (Wednesday) on
Diwali Day as per the guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board,
Delhi. The highlights of the analysis are as below:
1. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) levels
at all the locations are within the permissible limits., 2. Oxides of
Nitrogen (NOx) levels at all the locations are within permissible
limits., 3. Noise levels in these three locations were higher in
comparison to the previous year. Beating of drums at places was also observed
adding to the noise in these localities., 4. PM10 as well as PM 2.5
Levels were increased at all the three
locations as compared to last year’s Diwali. The Air Quality Index
(AQI) of Sector 22, 17 and 12 was 311,177 and 297 respectively compared
to 240, 137 and 247 during the previous year’s diwali which shows a positive
trend in AQI compared to last year’s diwali. However, an important factor
to be taken into consideration that diwali was celebrated last year on 19th October,
2017 where the temperature was 23.5 degree Celsius (at 8.00 pm) compared to
16.6 degree Celsius on 7th November, 2018 during the current
year. The temperature is thus an important factor contributing towards increase
in AQI. A comparative data of AQI at Sector 17 and Sector 12 taken on 7th November,
2017 viz-a- viz 7th November, 2018 shows
a sharp decline in AQI compared to last year on 7th November,
2017. Compared to AQI of 177 and 297 at Sector 17 and Sector 12 on 7thNovember,
2018 the AQI was 362 and 306 during the previous year on the same day i.e. 7th November.
It
is, thus, to say that AQI of 7th November, 2017 (Normal day)
was much higher than the AQI of 7th November, 2018 (Diwali
day). Thus massive awareness campaign coupled with order from Hon’ble Court has
paid dividend in making an impact on the society to keep a check on the
pollution load of the environment due to bursting of crackers during
Diwali. The sustained efforts in these directions shall help in further
creating awareness amongst the civil society to check pollution.