Bhubaneswar: The air quality in two urban areas of Odisha was described as very poor by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) today.
The air quality in Odisha’s Angul and Balasore towns was categorised as very poor by the CPCB in its Air Quality Index (AQI) today.
The AQI value for Angul was 320 while it was 315 for Balasore, said the CPCB data.
The air quality in five towns—Baripada, Bhubaneswar, Byasanagar, Cuttack and Talcher—was categorised as poor by the central agency.
The AQI value was 246 in Baripada, 268 in Bhubaneswar, 275 in Byasanagar, 294 in Cuttack and 252 in Talcher, added the CPCB data.
However, the air quality in at least two urban areas—Brajarajnagar and Rourkela—was described as satisfactory by the CPCB.
Prolonged exposure to very poor quality air may cause respiratory illness among the people. Similarly, people may develop breathing discomfort due to prolonged exposure to poor quality air, said the CBCB.
Notably, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has recently urged all urban local bodies (ULBs) to immediate steps to check air pollution.
The Forest, Environment and Climate Change department earlier claimed that the air quality in a few urban areas of Odisha has deteriorated due to temporary reasons, including construction activities.
