HYDERABAD: Amidst the havoc of the pandemic, Hyderabad’s air pollution has worsened putting more people at health risk, claims the new Greenpeace report.
The report published on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, claims that Hyderabad recorded a 69 per cent increase in harmful Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels during April, 2021 as compared to April, 2020. NO2 is a dangerous air pollutant that is released when fuel is burned, such as from motor vehicles, power generation, and industrial processes.
Exposure to NO2 can severely impact people’s health at all ages, including the respiratory and circulatory systems and the brain, leading to increases in hospital admissions and mortality.
The report that paints a grim picture of the city’s poor air quality, stated that a year after initial nationwide lockdowns due to Covid-19, the NO2 pollution has increased in all eight most populous state capitals studied. These include Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow.
According to satellite observations, NO2 pollution in Hyderabad increased by 69% between April 2020 and April 2021. Even after removing the effect of weather on the pollution, there is still an increase of 38 per cent of NO2 pollution in the city, which is attributed to an increase in emissions. Meanwhile, NO2 was higher by 125% in Delhi, Chennai - 94%, Mumbai - 52%, Bengaluru - 90%, Kolkata - 11%, Jaipur - 47%, and Lucknow - 32% in April 2021 than in the same month of the previous year.
The report titled ‘Behind the Smokescreen’ claims that the health impact of fossil-fuel related air pollution is severe. “People saw breathed fresh air during the lockdown though it was an unintended consequence. The disruption caused by the pandemic is a case to transition to cleaner and sustainable decentralised energy sources such as rooftop solar systems. Sustainable mobility must be central to recovery efforts across cities,” said Avinash Chanchal, Greenpeace India.