Activists demand to set up air quality monitoring station
Prashant Nikale
Nashik: The air in Nashik city is becoming polluted day by day. The air pollution is increasing as soon the mercury has started dropping constantly. The activists are fighting for good air, but the government agencies are not responding to their call.
The activists have written several letters to the district collectorate, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Nashik Municipal Corporation as well, but no government agency has not taken their note. The District Environment Committee and Manav Utthan Manch Member, Jagbir Singh, informed Deshdoot Times, “As a committee member I have written four letters to the District Collector on various issue related to the air pollution.
I have taken follow up of the same throughout the year, but no response has been received from the district collectorate. We have also identified the industries polluting Nashik city and have demanded action against them from MPCB.”
“Nashikites are not aware about the threat of air pollution. Within no time the Nashik will become Delhi. The continuous air monitoring station has been set near KTHM College, Ganagapur Road, which should be ideally in industrial area. We have demanded several times that the station should be shifted or new station of air pollution monitoring station should be installed in industrial area of Satpur and Ambad”, urged Singh.
Another activist Roshan Kedar affiliated to Jhatka organization said, “We should get aware about the air pollution and its consequences. Our children are in danger due to this as they are most vulnerable to the air pollution. The Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) is increasing in city. The AQI on daily basis in city is about 150 AQI in day time, which is very serious concern.”
The Air quality in city is dropping seriously. This year in January, the Nashik city was ranked sixth most polluted city in Maharashtra and 17th most polluted in country. November most polluted this year The month of November proved the most polluted this year.
The November had highest polluted days in AQI calendar provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The November observed 18 polluted days with Air quality in moderate range of 101-200 AQI. The Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) at KTHM College was unable to record the air quality data for 48 days till date.
