THE first week of January has begun on a troubling note for residents of Bhopal, as the city’s Air quality has remained in the ‘poor’ category for nearly three consecutive days. Despite the arrival of the New Year, which usually brings a sense of renewal and optimism, but the thick smog and rising pollution levels have cast a shadow over daily life. 

 

With the beginning of the new year, on January 1, Bhopal’s Air quality took a sharp hit, with AQI readings hitting 278 at Paryavaran Parisar, 264 at the Collectorate and 273 at TT Nagar. Upon which Brajesh Sharma, the Regional Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), explained that the spike was largely due to increased public and vehicular movement during New Year celebrations.

 

He noted that when large numbers of people travel for festivities, and vehicle emissions rise sharply, and winter conditions such as low wind speed and temperature inversion trap these pollutants close to the ground, causing the AQI to soar. Despite hopes for improvement, the air quality remained stubbornly in the ‘poor’ category on January 2 and 3 as well. The Collectorate recorded 266 on the 2nd, while Paryavaran Parisar and TT Nagar showed 243 and 208, respectively. 

 

By January 3, TT Nagar’s AQI rose again to 231, confirming that Bhopal residents had to contend with poor air. The poor air quality in the capital is largely driven by fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5 and PM10. PM2.5 particles are tiny enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, while PM10 can irritate the respiratory tract.

 

Both pose serious health risks, contributing to breathing problems, eye irritation, and long-term cardiovascular issues. Experts say that repeated exposure to such levels of pollution can affect breathing, trigger eye irritation, and increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory issues. Measures such as water sprinkling on roads, stricter monitoring of vehicular emissions, and better traffic management to effectively curb pollution.