PARADIP: Resriction on movement of heavy vehicles due to the lockdown has improved the air quality of the port town which had been witnessing a rise in pollution. The air in Paradip was often heavy with dust particles due to rampant transportation of ore and minerals.The town, which houses industries like Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL), Indian Farmers Fertilisers’ Co-operative Limited (IFFCO), IOCL, Goa Carbon Pvt Ltd, witnesses movement of nearly 6000 trucks every day.
Last year, it was categorised as ‘severely polluted area’ by the Central Pollution Control Board but the recent ambient air quality study conducted by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) projected a drastic change in the air quality.While the national PM10 (the fraction of particulates in air of very small size (<10 micrometre) limit is 100, it was 160 in Paradip before the lockdown. Now, PM10 of the town has dropped to 75. Similarly, the PM2.5 particles (<2.5 µm) limits is 50 but prior to the lockdown, it was 70 in Paradip and now it has come down to 46.
As far as pollution from Sulphur dioxide (SO2) - a significant contributor to air pollution that results from motor vehicle emission - is concerned, the SO2 concentration has reached below normal limits of 8 microgram/cubic metre against the prescribed concentration of 50 microgram/cubic metre. The SO2 emissions are a major contributor to air pollution as it reacts with PM2.5 and other air pollutants to form sulphate particles that affect human health.
Regional Officer of OSPCB Ramesh Chandra Ekka said the PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and nitrogen oxide levels were examined at different locations in the town and near industries. These were found to be in either normal or below normal limits. “Owing to the lockdown restrictions, people are now breathing cleaning air,” he said.In January this year, OSPCB had imposed a fine of `1 crore each on six industries and `25 lakh each on five hotels in Paradip for polluting air and releasing industrial effluent into water bodies.