The people of Dehradun could not even wake up with a clear sky and fresh air because the smog that covered the city was so thick that it made the Air Quality Index (AQI) reach at least 300. The recent drastic decrease in the quality of air has become the source of concern among local citizens and environmental scholars, as this is the first time since early March that the pollution rates in the city have hit such disturbing levels.
To the pollution monitoring agencies, the AQI in some areas of Dehradun was recorded as the very poor range, which spells serious health hazards to individuals, particularly children, the elderly, or those with breathing complications. Experts in health advocate that long-term exposure to such contaminated air may lead to breathing difficulties, irritation in the throat, coughing and eye pain.
Simultaneously, there was also an abnormal increase in the temperature in the city. The mercury went as high as about 31 degrees Celsius, which can be said as fairly high at this time of the year. According to weather experts, warm temperatures and low wind speeds combined to provide the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere, causing dense smog in the region.
According to environmental experts, there were a number of reasons that led to the abrupt increase in the pollution level. Among the key factors is the high growth of vehicle traffic in the city over the last several years. The formerly clean air and scenic town of Dehradun has experienced a considerable urban growth; this has seen the influx of more vehicles and emissions.
Construction activity and road dust is another cause, whereby they emit huge volumes of particulate matter into the air. Also, it is said that the burning of garbage and biomass in the surrounding places also aggravated the situation.
The geography is also a contributing factor to the accumulation of pollution. Dehradun is a valley with hills on its edges, which at times can trap pollutants when there is a low velocity of wind. These conditions do not allow easy dispersion of the pollutants, leading to the accumulation of smog.
People living in the surrounding areas voiced their disapproval at the fact that the air quality in the area was getting worse, with the city gradually beginning to experience pollution at a level of major metropolitan ones. It has been requested by many that the authorities should be stricter in controlling vehicle emissions, construction dust, and open waste burning.
The environmentalists have warned that unless there is proper planning and environmental protection through environmental protection, then it is expected that in the future, Dehradun may experience more instances of poor air quality, given the current rate of urbanization. Law enforcement agencies are likely to pay heavy attention to the state of affairs and introduce actions aimed at enhancing the quality of the air in the near future.
