Road dust had put Baddi on top of AQI list across India in January

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 7

The deteriorating air pollution in the Baddi-Nalagarh industrial clusters can be attributed to road dust, which contributes the lion’s share of 17 to 24 per cent. While industrial and combustion activities contribute 21 to 22 per cent, 13 to 14 per cent air pollution is attributed to secondary inorganic aerosols.

Vehicular emission has its share in the air pollution, ranging from 12 to 15 per cent. Around 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles, including multi-axle trucks, enter the industrial area daily.

The solid waste burning with 8 per cent share worsens the situation.

Construction activities under way

• The main construction activities, including the four-laning of the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh highway and laying of the Baddi rail line, are under way in this industrial cluster. As they involve large-scale excavation, high level of road dust is visible in the area
• Deteriorating air quality has become a cause of concern for the residents of the industrial town
• The level of particulate matter, which is a major pollutant, had reached to 416. Air quality index (AQI) below 100 is rated satisfactory

The key construction activities like the four-laning of the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh highway and laying of the Baddi rail line are underway in this industrial cluster. As these involve large-scale excavation, high level of road dust is visible in the area. As per a study conducted on the relative source contribution of particulate matter (PM), its share to the air pollution indicated poor condition of roads.

“The task was assigned to IIT-Kanpur which conducted studies to identify the factors responsible for air pollution in Baddi-Nalagarh,” said Anil Joshi, member secretary, State Pollution Control Board.

Deteriorating air quality in the twin industrial towns of Baddi and Nalagarh has become a cause of concern for the residents. Baddi town topped the nation-wide air quality index (AQI) for several days in January.

The level of particulate matter, which is a major pollutant, had recently reached 416. Air quality index (AQI) below 100 is rated satisfactory. The high AQI reflects how alarming the situation is.

The two towns also figure in the list of non-attainment towns nationally as their AQI has been rated poor successively for the last five years.

As a large population of migrants resides here, burning of biomass for fuel seems high in Baddi.

Paper, cement, distillery and drug manufacturing units, which fall among 17 most polluting industries, also operate here. The need to ensure their regular monitoring is crucial to contain the increasing air pollution from industrial emission.

An 11-member committee headed by the Solan DC is supposed to ensure implementation of this action plan. It has members from the departments of police, transport, industry, forest, agriculture, civic body, PWD and the State Pollution Control Board.

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