Indore air quality "unhealthy" since Dec 21; PM10 levels also touch moderate mark

India's cleanest city for the sixth year running can't say the same about its air. Indore's air pollution levels have now averaged above 100 for well over three weeks.

The city's AQI crossed the 100 mark on December 21 and is yet to average below three figures, even surpassing 200 on January 11, as per the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board.

It must be noted that an average AQI of over 100 is considered unhealthy, termed especially harmful for those with lungs, asthma, and heart diseases.

Indore's AQI had stayed below the "satisfactory" level of 100 for around 90 days during the monsoon season. But as the rain made way for fall and winter followed, the city has witnessed a comparatively poor three months in terms of air quality.

The Capital City's AQI touched 100 on Oct 15 and has stayed above and thereabouts ever since, receding below unhealthy levels only for 11 days in the said period while crossing the "harmful" mark of 200 on five separate occasions.

Dr. DK Wagela, environmentalist and former chief chemist at MPPCB, has said that "we have to take strict action to improve the situation." Commenting on the trend of rising air pollution in the chilling months, he said "In winter, pollutants remain low due to low temperature, which is one of the reasons for the increasing levels of pollution in the city."

Furthermore, city's PM10 and PM2.5 levels, that signify the presence of harmful particulate matter in the air, have also been recorded at moderate levels, causing breathing difficulties for many in the city.