Himachal air quality improves 50 percent since 2020

Himachal Pradesh has maintained relatively clean air after Diwali, with its average Air Quality Index (AQI) currently between 50 and 60 and air quality improving by more than 50 per cent since 2020, according to the state’s Environment, Science and Technology Department.

Chief Scientific Officer Suresh Attri said online monitoring data placed Himachal Pradesh around 827th in the country’s AQI ranking, indicating lower pollution levels than several other cities. The source material does not specify the ranking’s direction or methodology.

Attri said the state’s average AQI was around 113 in 2020 and had now declined to between 50 and 60. This represents an improvement of more than 50 per cent in air quality over the period, he said.

Air quality is reported to be good in Sundernagar, Manali, Dharamshala and Shimla. Industrial areas such as Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh and Kala Amb have comparatively higher pollution levels than other towns, but these remain within prescribed standards and under control, Attri said.

In Shimla, the PM2.5 concentration is around 16 micrograms per cubic metre, while PM10 is approximately 49 to 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the official.

Attri said Himachal Pradesh had a clean environment and good air quality, and urged people to visit the state to experience its clean air and natural surroundings.

The figures come as air pollution levels have risen in several cities across the country after Diwali, while Himachal Pradesh’s air quality has remained comparatively better, according to the supplied report.

The source did not provide the monitoring date, the AQI ranking methodology or a city-wise set of current AQI readings beyond the figures cited for Shimla.