Polluted City of UP

•  Lucknow’s air quality remains in the ‘very poor’ category while other cities in the country seem to be faring better. The air quality index (AQI) of Lucknow was recorded at 320 on Thursday, making it the second most polluted city in UP.
• varanasi was UP’s most polluted city with an AQI of 350, while other cities (in UP) such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Agra and Kanpur, improved in terms of air quality. Their AQI was constantly crossing ‘severe’ levels at 400 for the last 14 days, but the cities noted a significant decrease in the particle concentration and the AQI was recorded to be below 300.
• Delhi’s air quality, that was marked at around and above 350, giving it a ‘severe’ tag, went down to 217 on Thursday which was 103 units less than that in Lucknow.
• According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the highest level of air pollution within Lucknow itself was recorded in Lalbagh with an AQI of 327, followed by Talkatora at 317, Nishatganj at 309 and Aliganj at 204.
• About AQI:- An air quality index (AQI) is a number used by government agencies  to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. As the AQI increases, an increasingly large percentage of the population is likely to experience increasingly severe adverse health effects. Different countries have their own air quality indices, corresponding to different national air quality standards.
• About CPCB:- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), statutory organisation, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

Functions:

• To promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution.
• To improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.
  

By: Arpit Gupta