Lucknow: Air quality in the state capital worsened on Monday with PM2.5 levels breaching the 600-mark, more than that in several areas of notoriously polluted Delhi.
According to Air Quality Data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Lucknow’s air was in the ‘hazardous’ category. The level of Particulate Matter 2.5 — particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter which can lodge deep in lungs — was at 608 micrograms per cubic meter at 10 am on Monday. The ‘permissible’ level is 60 micrograms.
The administration, however, has refused to close schools, citing the absence of smog. “We are taking all precautionary measures and have called for a meeting of all stakeholders on Tuesday. We have called officials from different departments like the PWD, Lucknow Metro, Agriculture, LDA, Traffic, Municipal Corporation. I don’t think there is any need to close schools for now. The problem is only on days when there is fog and gets mixed up with pollution. If that happens, we will act accordingly.”
According to doctors, toxicity in the air has led to a spike in respiratory problems by 30% over the past three days. Speaking to News18, ENT Specialist Dr Rajat Rastogi said, “There is a beeline of patients who are coming with problems like allergies and breathing trouble etc. The pollution in the atmosphere leads to aggravated allergies and respiratory issues. People should use prescribed health masks and anti-allergens prescribed by their doctors.”
In Talkatora locality of Lucknow, the PM2.5 level was recorded at 518 micrograms per cubic meter, eight times the permissible limit. In Aliganj, it was 192 and 518 in Rajajipuram.
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