Be Careful!! Yellow Alert issued now in Chennai??
Posted on: 14/Jan/2023 9:56:11 AM
It`s Bhogi Day today and the people are in the festival mood!!
The air quality has worsened now in Chennai to such an extent that a yellow alert has been issued now. The air quality index or ADI has gone over 100 now in the city. This waas according to some sources. Yellow alert would indicate that the prolonged exposure to the air outside could cause discomfort.
For most of Friday, almost all continuous ambient air quality monitoring systems belonging to CPCB or Central Pollution Control Board and TNPCB or Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board have flagged a yellow alert.
It is noteworthy that the monitoring station located at Manali in north chennai showed PM 2.5 concentration went up as high as 321micro micrograms per cubic metre and AQI 193. Manali was followed by Perungudi with AQI of 113 and then by Kodungaiyur with AQI of 107.
It is worth mentioning that the prominent pollutant in all the stations was PM 2.5. This PM 2.5 is a tiny particulate matter of diameter of 2.5 or less than 2.5 microns that could go into the lungs very deeply leading to health issues. For PM 2.5, NAAQ or National Ambient Air Quality is 60 micro gms per cubic metre.
During the early morning hours, there would be haze and mist in Chennai and this was according to the RMC in Chennai. This would be the cause for the increase in the pollution levels in the city.
Till 17th of January, the pollution levels would remain high in Chennai and this was mentioned by an officer from TNPCB. Point is that the lack of wind and low temperature would be responsible for the high pollution levels in Chennai.
The emissions from various industries at Ennore would be brought directly to the city by the current wind pattern. In Addition to this, there is also pollution from several vehicles plus construction works, road dust etc. In the absence of wind and low temperatures, these pollutants would circulate at the surface level. To make sure that the materials like rubber products, tubes, tyres and plastic items etc are not burnt today, several monitoring teams have been formed.
