Himachal calling: Rising air pollution creates unhealthy environment for Baddi residents
Air pollution in the industrial town of Baddi continues to create unhealthy conditions with the ambient air quality index (AQI) hovering above 300 since the last several days.
While the AQI touched 333 yesterday, it showed a slight improvement and settled at 317 today in the national air quality index monitoring data of the Central Pollution Control Board. The decline is attributed to the lesser number of vehicles on roads owing to closure of industries today which provided a temporary relief to residents.
Rated as unhealthy, the high AQI has sent alarm bells ringing among residents as it poses a grave health risk, especially to the sensitive population.
Baddi figures among eight cities like Delhi, Hanumangarh, Chandigarh, Bikaner, Churu and others whose AQI has breached the 300 mark. The problem of air pollution is not new in Baddi. Earlier this year, this industrial cluster had earned the ignominy of having the worst AQI nationally for days altogether with the air pollution rising to 376 mark.
Though the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) has devised a comprehensive remedial action plan to improve the air quality in the city by involving various stakeholders, little improvement has been witnessed in the AQI.
The board had identified sources of pollution, measured and assessed their impact, especially units found exceeding the permissible AQI limits and devised measure to offset them.
Baddi is among three industrial clusters of the state which was declared as the severally polluted area by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India years ago. Kala Amb and Parwanoo were the other two such pollution-ridden industrial clusters.
Baddi also figures among the non-attainment cities nationally where air pollution has failed to confirm to the norms for more than five years at a stretch. It is appalling to note that improving air quality has failed to figure as a key agenda for the authorities concerned as officials helplessly watch the AQI climb to unhealthy levels.
A district-level surveillance task force headed by the Deputy Commissioner, constituted on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), is supposed to monitor air quality in Baddi.
The task force is supposed to meet on a monthly basis to monitor the progress of the action plan. With little adherence to the plan, this has failed to address the problem. Though the board brags to have undertaken mass plantation to offset the impact of air pollution, but being a long-term measure its results will not be visible immediately.
Vehicular emissions were found to be a big contributor to the deteriorating air quality. More than 10,000 vehicles crisscross the roads on daily basis, including multi-axle trucks.
With a view to reducing emissions from vehicles, a slew of measures like regular check on overloading by commercial vehicles, public transport and chalking out a comprehensive traffic management plan to avoid traffic congestion, besides construction of additional bridges for one-way traffic near toll barrier (Pinjore-Baddi road) and Lakkar Pul (Baddi-Barotiwala road) are supposed to be undertaken.
Other measures like scientific disposal of solid municipal waste, curb on open burning of garbage and industrial waste and ensuring apt stack monitoring in industries and brick kilns were also supposed to be implemented. Lacking inter-departmental coordination, the plan appears to be missing action resulting in the air quality going from bad to worse.
