09 Nov 2019
Chennai Air Pollution: Doctors Urge City’s Inclusion in NCAP
As the pollution levels rise in Chennai, a Press Conference has been organised “Air Pollution Chokes Chennai – Doctors For Clean Air Urge City’s Inclusion in National Clean Air Programme” on 09 November at 3 p.m. at Chennai Press Club, Chepauk. The conference has been organized by the Healthy Energy Initiative – India and Doctors […]

As the pollution levels rise in Chennai, a Press Conference has been organised “Air Pollution Chokes Chennai – Doctors For Clean Air Urge City’s Inclusion in National Clean Air Programme” on 09 November at 3 p.m. at Chennai Press Club, Chepauk.

air pollution in chennai
Image Source: Citizen Matters/Chennai

The conference has been organized by the Healthy Energy Initiative – India and Doctors For Clean Air – Tamil Nadu.

Air quality in all 15 locations sampled from across the city between May and July 2019 was unhealthy, with levels of PM 2.5 in the worst affected areas nearly three times the national standard of 60 ug/m3, according to a study released by Healthy Energy Initiative and Doctors for Clean Air-Tamil Nadu.

The widespread nature of pollution and the fact that the samples were taken in summer highlights how the current pollution crisis is neither an isolated nor a seasonal incident. The study analyzed 24-hour air samples for PM 2.5 and a host of heavy metals.

According to Dr Vishvaja Sambath, Environmental Health Researcher, Chennai, major sources of air pollution in Chennai are Thermal power plants, coal ash ponds, industrial clusters, vehicular emissions, construction wastes and extensive garbage dumping.

“The press conference has been organised to highlight the extent of perennial pollution in Chennai and urge MoEFCC to include Chennai as one of the non-attainment cities in National Clean Air Programme,” she added.

Chennai on November 7, even surpassed Delhi hands down in air pollution under ‘worrisome’ smoggy conditions. 

The Air Quality Index in recorded today at 12 am was 323 in Manali, Chennai which comes under the ‘hazardous category.’ The AQI in Alandur and IIT was 169 and 119 respectively, both in the ‘unhealthy category’.


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