Air quality in twin cities has improved in past one year: Min | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: There has been improvement in ambient air in the cities of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kalinganagar, Balasore and Rourkela in the past one year, forest minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia told the assembly in a written reply on Tuesday.
In the state capital, the particulate matter (PM-10) in the air improved from 114 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) in 2023-24 to 87, the minister’s reply revealed. In Cuttack, the situation improved from 106 µg/m³ to 91 while Balasore reported 124 µg/m³ in 2023-24 to 99 in 2024-25. In the industrial town of Kalinganagar, it dropped to 84 µg/m³ from 99, and in Rourkela, it came down to 104 µg/m³ from 111.
“Though it was targeted by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) for incremental reduction of PM-10 every year, most of the corrective actions and fund utilisation occurred in 2022-23 and 2023-24. So, actual improvement in air quality started in 2024-25. The concentration of PM-10 has reduced in the air in five of the seven non-attainment cities,” said the minister in his written reply. The minister’s reply followed questions from Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain.
In the decade prior to 2024-25, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kalinganagar, Balasore, Rourkela, Angul and Talcher were rated as non-attainment cities for not meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) had set a target of reducing PM-10 by 40% by 2026 in non-attainment cities.
Talcher and Angul, however, witnessed marginal increase in pollution levels. “Various action plans approved under NCAP for implementation in the non-attainment cities are currently going on with the objective of improving air quality,” the minister added.
In the state capital, the particulate matter (PM-10) in the air improved from 114 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) in 2023-24 to 87, the minister’s reply revealed. In Cuttack, the situation improved from 106 µg/m³ to 91 while Balasore reported 124 µg/m³ in 2023-24 to 99 in 2024-25. In the industrial town of Kalinganagar, it dropped to 84 µg/m³ from 99, and in Rourkela, it came down to 104 µg/m³ from 111.
“Though it was targeted by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) for incremental reduction of PM-10 every year, most of the corrective actions and fund utilisation occurred in 2022-23 and 2023-24. So, actual improvement in air quality started in 2024-25. The concentration of PM-10 has reduced in the air in five of the seven non-attainment cities,” said the minister in his written reply. The minister’s reply followed questions from Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain.
In the decade prior to 2024-25, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kalinganagar, Balasore, Rourkela, Angul and Talcher were rated as non-attainment cities for not meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). The National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) had set a target of reducing PM-10 by 40% by 2026 in non-attainment cities.
Talcher and Angul, however, witnessed marginal increase in pollution levels. “Various action plans approved under NCAP for implementation in the non-attainment cities are currently going on with the objective of improving air quality,” the minister added.
