Water sprinkling operations to curb dust pollution continue

To tackle the rising pollution, a drive by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation to sprinkle water in the air to settle dust has been underway with dust separation machines pressed into service. However, the city has got a slight relief from pollution as the air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 225, which had reached 368 on Diwali night.

Owing to the increasing pollution, MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh has ordered the MC officials to continue to use one big and two small dust separation machines. Today, the dust separation machines were used in the Lawrence Road, Mall Road and Kachhari Road areas. MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh said the Health Department of the MC will continue with the drive to settle dust for the next few days. He said the sprinklers has been able to control pollution to some extent.

MC Health Officer Dr Kiran Kumar said a schedule has been prepared to keep all three machines running continuously. The machines will continue to spray water continuously on main roads of the city. MC officials claimed that with water sprinkling, dust and other particles spread in the air settle on the ground. The MC Commissioner laid emphasis on the effectiveness of these measures in controlling pollution as water sprinkling will help settle the dust and other particles.

The city’s pollution levels had spiked alarmingly, prompting flight diversions due to poor visibility. The city’s AQI had reached hazardous levels, posing health risks to residents. The move is a part of larger efforts to address pollution concerns in the city.