Pollution levels in the steel city of Jamshedpur and adjoining Adityapur are higher than what they were during the lockdown, but are still within permissible limits, an ambient air quality survey by the state pollution board carried out in August has revealed.
According to the findings of the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board survey, pollutants like sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were below prescribed limits in Bistupur, Sakchi, Golmuri in Jamshedpur and in the Adityapur industrial area in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
Respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) was also found to be within specified limits in all these places.
JSPCB regional officer Suresh Paswan said they conducted the survey to determine the extent of pollutants in the air since more vehicles had started plying and industries had re-opened after lockdown rules were relaxed.
Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board ambient air monitoring station at Bistupur in Jamshedpur on Thursday Bhola Prasad
He said that during the May survey, there was an appreciable improvement in the air quality index of Jamshedpur and Adityapur due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown which prompted closure of industries and running of diesel-run heavy vehicles and auto-rickshaws, both major contributors to air pollution.
"During the survey (August) we found that all the parameters were within prescribed limits," Paswan told The Telegraph Online. But the numbers were higher than what they were during the lockdown.
According to the August survey, RSPM at Bistupur was 85.0 µg/m3, which was
15 µg/m3, less than the permissible limit of 100 µg/m3. A similar survey in May, during the lockdown, had revealed that RSPM was 72.04 µg/m3, which was 28 µg/m3 less than the permissible limit of 100 µg/m3.
At Sakchi, a commercial hub, RSPM was 85.66 µg/m3 and at Golmuri market it was 80.12 µg/m3. The May reading at Sakchi was 75.5 µg/m3 and at Golmuri 73.68 µg/m3.
RSPM in Adityapur, an industrial hub, was marginally higher at 94.56 µg/m3, around 6 µg/m3 less than the permissible limit of 100 µg/m3. During the May lockdown, the reading was 80.23 µg/m3 in Adityapur.
The JSPCB survey team used respirable dust samplers to measure air pollution levels at all places. The other two elements, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, on which ambient air quality is judged, were also found to be below prescribed limits.
The August survey revealed that sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels in Bistupur, Golmuri and Sakchi were 55 µg/m3, 47 µg/m3, and 62 µg/m3, respectively.
At Adityapur, SO2 was found to be 63.25 µg/m3. The prescribed limit is 80 µg/m3.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in ambient air in Bistupur, Golmuri and Sakchi were found to be 61.32 µg/m3, 59.0 µg/m3 and 64.10 µg/m3. The NO2 level in Adityapur was 68.24 µg/m3. The prescribed limit for NO2 is 80 µg/m3.
