VIJAYAWADA: With air pollution levels increasing alarmingly in the city, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) officials have decided to establish three more air quality monitoring stations at NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, VR Siddhartha Engineering College, Kanuru and Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology (ALIET).
As per the National Ambient Air Quality standards, respirable suspended particulate matter (SPM) should be around 60 microgram/cubic metre annually but in the city, it is more than 100 microgram/cubic metre and sometimes, reaching 110 microgram/cubic metre. On averages, it settles between 90-110 microgram/cubic metre on a busy day. Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM) is also registered high and disturbing the public health in the city, the PCB officials said.
Though dust and smoke in the city may be at the moderate levels at present when compared to larger cities like Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, the number of residents in Vijayawada approaching the pulmonologists has increased drastically with infections caused by air pollution. “About 30 to 40 patients are visiting my hospital every day for treatment to wheezing caused by exposure to polluted air in the city,” said a pulmonologist at a super speciality hospital. He suggested that reduction in use of vehicles and keeping the premises clean are the prevailing ways of avoiding exposure to air pollution.
The pulmonologist pointed out that vehicle smoke and dust are major pollutants increasing in the city apart from industries. Speaking to TNIE, APPCB Senior Environmental Scientist K Srinivas said as per the data, air pollution levels in the city decreased during monsoon, when compared to summer months.
However, PM10 levels (Coarse dust particles) have increased in the city by 10 per cent when compared to the figure in 2014, after construction activity picking up momentum in the city and its suburbs. ‘’Particulate matter such as PM10 are high at Benz circle, Police Control Room and Autonagar during January-July when compared with other locations in the city. Recently, the department has also set up necessary infrastructure to calculate the PM 2.5 levels in the city, henceforth from this August,’’ he said.
