GUWAHATI: If you are a resident of Guwahati in Assam, or if you are travelling the city, beware of what you are breathing.
The capital city of Assam – Guwahati – is breathing black carbon!
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Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel.
It comprises a significant portion of particulate matter (PM), which is an air pollutant.
Guwahati has topped the list of highest polluted cities in Assam, a study by Delhi-based Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) revealed.
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Besides Guwahati, the towns of Nagaon, Silchar, Sivasagar and Nalbari in Assam also showed a considerable rise in air pollution level.
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The pollutant levels in these cities have exceeded the prescribed air quality standards.
Preliminary study revealed that the high level of air pollution in these Assam cities were a result of heavy motorisation, traffic congestion and use of solid fuel.
Rise in air pollution in the Northeast has resulted in a public health crisis across the Northeast.
During winters, air pollution in Guwahati is as bad as in many other polluted cities across India.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had also cited that the air quality in Guwahati is amongst the worst.
In fact, the air quality in Guwahati was rated as very poor.