Jammu and Kashmir government rebuts WHO report on air pollution in Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday refuted the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report naming Srinagar as the tenth most polluted city in India, with the J&K State Pollution Control Board (SP

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday refuted the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report naming Srinagar as the tenth most polluted city in India, with the J&K State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) Regional Director, Dr Syed Nadeem Hussain saying they had not provided any data to the WHO.

According to WHO report for 2016, 14 most polluted cities of the world are from India and Srinagar is the 10th most polluted city in India with 113 micrograms per cubic metre of PM 2.5 concentration. WHO’s global urban air pollution database measured the levels of fine particulate matter from more than 4,300 cities in 108 countries.

Hussain said the WHO says its report is based on data provided by the respective governments but J&K government has not provided any data to it. “The SPCB started monitoring of PM 2.5 in Srinagar in July 2017 only whereas the WHO study quotes the period from 2010 to 2016.”

He said the SPCB applies a very robust sampling methodology and intensity including establishment of five permanent air quality monitoring stations in Srinagar. He said the SPCB can’t verify the WHO report as the sampling methodology as well as the sampling intensity/frequency and location is not known to it. “The air quality of Srinagar city is far better than depicted in the WHO report and there is no cause of alarm or distress as the levels of PM 2.5 are well within the permissible limits of 60 µg/m3.”

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