Published on: April 26, 2025

PM10 POLLUTION STUDY (2021–2024)

PM10 POLLUTION STUDY (2021–2024)

NEWS

  • A four-year analysis of PM10 pollutant levels across Indian cities.
  • Conducted by Respirer Living Sciences.
  • Aimed to identify critically affected areas, contributing factors, and propose data-driven interventions.

KEY FINDINGS

  • All 11 cities analyzed exceeded the national annual PM10 standard of 60 µg/m³.
  • PM10 remains a persistent environmental and health hazard.
  • No significant downward trend in pollution levels, despite interventions.

WORST-AFFECTED CITIES

  • Delhi: 214.3 µg/m³ (highest)
  • Patna: 189.1 µg/m³
  • Chandigarh: 136.9 µg/m³
  • Lucknow: 118.8 µg/m³
  • Ahmedabad: 108.2 µg/m³

SEASONAL TRENDS

  • Winter: Pollution levels spike due to:
    • Temperature inversions
    • Biomass burning
  • Summer: Lower levels due to:
    • Better atmospheric dispersion

SOUTHERN CITIES OVERVIEW

  • All southern metros still breached national limits, though less severe than northern cities.
  • Bengaluru: 71.3 µg/m³
  • Chennai: 63.2 µg/m³
  • Hyderabad: 75.8 µg/m³
  • Mumbai: 90 µg/m³
  • Pune: 86.8 µg/m³
  • Kolkata: 91.6 µg/m³ (showed signs of improvement)

BENGALURU’S AIR QUALITY: A CLOSER LOOK

Major Pollution Contributors

  • Traffic congestion on IT corridors
  • Widespread construction activities
  • Open waste burning
  • Dry weather conditions

Worst-Hit Locations

  • Monitoring stations:
    • Silk Board
    • RVCE-Mailasandra
    • City Railway Station
    • Kasturi Nagar
  • Residential areas:
    • BTM Layout
    • Hombegowda Nagar