After Days of High AQI, Mandideep Beeps off CPCB Radar

Bhopal

After days of recording Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in excess of 300, the Mandideep monitoring station in neighbouring Raisen district has gone missing from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) app Sameer on Tuesday.

The Mandideep station is the closest air quality monitoring facility in the vicinity of the state capital. The industrial area and its surroundings had been consistently registering hazardous AQI levels over the last week.

Stubble burning in the area was also said to be responsible for the surge in AQI, which experts feel could act as a detriment to air quality in the state capital.

Meanwhile, AQI levels in Bhopal were recorded in the 209-244 range at 1:50 AM on Tuesday. The lowest was recorded at Idgah, while the highest was registered at Paryavaran Bhawan—the city monitoring station closest to Mandideep.

Experts say that AQI levels in the city may be much higher in the vicinity of metro construction sites and road-building zones at Kolar Road, Hamidia Road, and the road opposite Taj-ul-Masajid, which houses several crucial medical facilities. The road-building activity has continued for months, causing great difficulty for patients in the area.

Medical experts say that an AQI in excess of 200 could result in complications for those with a history of respiratory and cardiac ailments.