HTML SUB HEADINGS:
1. Air Pollution in Bihar: Ranking and Levels
2. State and Central Government Efforts
3. Air Quality in Bihar Cities
4. Impact of National Clean Air Program
Air Pollution in Bihar: Ranking and Levels
Out of the top 50 most polluted cities in India, Bihar has 19 cities, including Begusarai, Chapra, and Patna. Among these, Begusarai, Chapra, and Patna are among the top 10 most polluted cities in the country. The pollution levels in Begusarai were recorded at 265, Chapra at 212, and Patna at 212 micrograms per cubic meter.
State and Central Government Efforts
The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in New Delhi has reported on the efforts and results of the state and central governments in controlling air pollution in Bihar. The report highlights the measures taken and the results achieved in air pollution control in Bihar by both the state and central governments. Delhi tops the list of most polluted cities in the country, while Bhagalpur and Saharsa rank second and third.
Air Quality in Bihar Cities
According to the January 2024 Air Quality Index (AQI) snapshot by CREA, Delhi ranks highest in terms of pollution in the country, while Bhagalpur and Saharsa rank second and third. The snapshot also reveals that Bihar had a total of 11 cities included in the list of top 10 most polluted cities in the country at least once in January 2024. Bhagalpur ranked the highest with 28 appearances, followed by Saharsa (21 appearances), Chapra (13 appearances), Rajgir (8 appearances), Araria (7 appearances), Ara (6 appearances), Patna (4 appearances), Kishanganj (1 appearance), Purnia (1 appearance), Samastipur (1 appearance), and Muzaffarpur (1 appearance).
Impact of National Clean Air Program
The weather in Bihar is experiencing a drop in temperature, with an increase in pollution levels. In these districts, fog is expected to worsen. Among these 23 cities, 16 cities had air quality that was poor compared to the World Health Organization’s standards for almost 90% of the days in the year 2023. Out of these, 11 cities continued to have poor air quality for 70% of the days in the last year compared to the national standards. Only Sasaram and Munger had air quality that remained satisfactory for 50% of the days during the last year compared to national standards. The National Clean Air Program has not been successful in improving air quality in these 23 cities, as only 3 out of the 23 cities are currently a part of the program. The CREA report highlights the lack of penalties for not achieving the goals set by the government in the program, which has resulted in negligence and failure to meet the objectives.
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पटना बिहार का एक प्रमुख शहर है और यह देश के सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में से एक है। इसके अलावा बेगूसराय और छपरा भी प्रदूषित शहरों में हैं। राज्य के अन्य शहरों की स्थिति भी खराब है। दिल्ली के बाद देश में वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर सबसे ज्यादा है, इसके बाद भागलपुर और सहरसा हैं। बिहार के कई शहरों ने वायु प्रदूषण के मामले में शीर्ष-10 सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों की सूची में अपनी जगह बनाई है। यहां बताया गया है कि बिहार में वायु गुणवत्ता में सुधार की आवश्यकता है और इसके लिए राज्य और केंद्र सरकार को संयुक्त रूप से काम करना चाहिए।
