Air ‘very poor’, residents say no option than to leave Jalandhar

Thirteen days after Diwali, Jalandhar residents continue to reel under persistently poor air quality. The city’s AQI remains at ‘very poor’ levels, leaving citizens gasping for clean air, with some calling it a public health emergency.

Post-Diwali, air quality levels in Jalandhar continue to be extremely poor. While the maximum AQI levels touched 500 on Diwali night and a day after Diwali, despite marginal improvement in air quality levels – the maximum AQI levels remain at over 300 for the past 13 days.

Since October 23, the maximum AQI levels stay between 302 to 328, with only three days as exception. Jalandhar registered the maximum AQI of 318 today while the average AQI was 213.

For the first three days in November too, the maximum AQI has been very poor. On November 1, the maximum AQI was 306 and average 194. On November 2, the maximum AQI was 319 and average 160. An AQI of over 300 is considered very poor and that over 400 severe.

For the past few days, the AQI in Jalandhar remain extremely poor as residents complain of watery eyes, cough, irritation in the throat. At dawn, Jalandhar remains enveloped in a thick layer of smog.

While the city touched a maximum AQI of 500 on October 20 and 21; on October 23 the maximum AQI was at 328. Since Diwali, only three have been the exception – October 28 which saw the most moderate levels of maximum AQI at 163, and on October 24 and 25 – maximum AQI of 266 and 249. Meanwhile, post-Diwali, the most polluted day was October 26, which recorded a maximum AQI of 419.

The constantly bad AQIs and report of poor health among immuno-compromised patients and the elderly has also prompted the more well-heeled to leave city for a few days.

Resident Smriti Sharma said, “With the AQI touching 400 to 500 in Jalandhar, the frequency of bad air days is increasing every winters. For those with poor health and respiratory illnesses, there is no other option left but to leave town during severely polluted days. Children can neither play inside, nor can our parents go for evening or morning walks. The city air is choking us. There’s no option but to leave the city. While this should be treated as a health emergency, the authorities are hardly bothered about taking remedial measures.”