OSPCB calls for dust control measures from Odisha ULBs

BHUBANESWAR, Odisha: Given the deteriorating air conditions in the urban areas, Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has asked the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to take immediate action to control the rising pollution levels.

Earlier on Tuesday, five cities and towns in Odisha, including Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Angul, Balasore and Baripada, were featured in the ‘very poor’ category in the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Air Quality Index (AQI). Similarly, Vyasnagar and Talchar’s air quality put the two cities in the ‘poor’ category.

In Bhubaneswar, PM 2.5 pollutant stood at 334 milligrams per cubic metre (mg/m3), while in Cuttack and Balasore, it was 338 mg/m3 and 321 mg/m3, respectively.

In the last 24 hours, Angul has overtaken Delhi, where air quality stood at 343 mg/m3, while in Angul, it was 357 mg/m3. Apart from Angul, Vyasanagar, Talcher, and Keonjhar were in the range of 200-300 mg/m3.

However, K Murugesan, Member Secretary, OSPCB, said that the present air quality situation is temporary. He added that the worsening of the air quality has been primarily due to construction activities, and will soon improve as the wind flow increases. Construction activities in the proximity of the air quality monitoring stations have also played a significant role in worsening the air quality score.

He said that the board has asked all the concerned urban local bodies to take preventive measures to control dust pollution. They have also been instructed to monitor and control the dust emission from the construction sites and sprinkle water on the roads to settle the dust down, along with other measures.