Bhubaneswar, Dec 9: The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has asked all urban local bodies (ULBs) to take appropriate measures to check dust pollution to minimise the winter crisis amid reports of deteriorating air quality.
The directive comes following Central Pollution Control Board’s statistics that revealed air quality index (AQI) of some of the major urban areas in Odisha continues to remain in the range of poor and very poor category.
During winter the AQI of some of the major urban areas in the state, especially in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Angul, Talcher and a few other places, rises due to dust, smoke and lack of wind during winter, said a senior official of the OSPCB.
The smoke and dust particles from vehicular movement or construction work takes a longer time to settle due to lack of wind leading to increase in the pollution level in these cities during winter, he added.
He said the ULBs concerned have been asked to follow the advisory and expedite preventive measures deal with the situation effectively.
The board has asked the concerned ULBs to follow the advisory and expedite preventive measures to check burning of waste at random places in their jurisdiction.
