Vizag PM10 levels surge 33% since 2017-18, second worst in India
2
Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam has recorded the second-highest increase in pollution levels among the 130 cities nationwide covered under the Union govt's national clean air programme (NCAP).
The programme uses 2017-18 PM10 levels as a baseline to measure improvements in air quality. According to average PM10 concentration data from the 2024-25 financial year, Visakhapatnam experienced a 32.9% rise in pollution levels, second only to Aurangabad, which reported a 33.3% decline in air quality.
Over these seven years, Visakhapatnam's average annual PM10 concentration surged from 76 to 101 µg/m³. Srikakulam (14.5% rise) and Vizianagaram (2.8% rise), two other major cities in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, also recorded worsening air quality.
These increases highlight gaps in local action plans, the presence of unregulated pollution sources, or underutilisation of funds provided under the NCAP.
To provide context, the NCAP was launched by the Union govt in 2019 and targets 13 non-attainment cities (those not meeting pollution standards) in Andhra Pradesh. Under this initiative, each city developed an action plan aimed at controlling pollution levels, with funding allocated to implement these measures.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Villa Prices in Dubai Might Be Lower Than You Think!
Villa for sale in Dubai | Search Ads
Learn More
Undo
In contrast to the worsening conditions in some cities, other Andhra Pradesh cities included in the NCAP have shown notable improvements. Rajahmundry leads the way with a 30.6% drop in pollution levels, followed closely by Vijayawada (29.7%), Kadapa (25.3%), Kurnool (24.1%), Anantapur (23.1%), and Nellore (20.3%). These cities successfully implemented effective mitigation measures under the NCAP framework.
Chittoor (14.3%), Eluru (11.1%), and Ongole (10.8%) have also shown steady but more gradual improvements, signalling progress in areas such as dust control, vehicular emission standards, and industrial compliance.
A key factor contributing to Visakhapatnam's limited progress could be its underutilisation of allocated funds for pollution control. For example, Visakhapatnam spent just Rs 39.6 crore out of its Rs 129.4 crore allocation.
Of the 13 selected cities from Andhra Pradesh, smaller cities have generally fared better in terms of fund utilisation. Eluru, for instance, utilised Rs 4.61 crore of its Rs 5.21 crore allocation, while Kurnool spent Rs 6.07 crore against a sanctioned amount of Rs 6.33 crore.
Guntur also performed better than Visakhapatnam, with over 86% of allocated funds spent. However, Guntur's PM10 levels fell by only 3%. Similarly, Srikakulam's expenditure stood at Rs 3.89 crore out of the Rs 3.96 crore sanctioned.
Furthermore, a nationwide analysis highlights Visakhapatnam's persistent air quality challenges. In Sep 2024, the city appeared six times in the list of the top-10 most polluted cities in India based on PM2.5 concentration levels. Across that month, a total of 67 cities appeared in the daily top-10 most polluted list, with 26 cities — including Visakhapatnam — appearing at least five times over the 30-day period.
Vijayawada was also listed among the top-10 most polluted cities, though only for three days in Sep.
The primary contributors to air pollution in Visakhapatnam are industrial emissions. However, other factors such as vehicular emissions, construction activities, road dust resuspension, and biomass burning also exacerbate pollution levels in both Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
Overall, the state has made progress by achieving a reduction in PM10 levels in six cities — Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur, and Nellore — thereby meeting the initial NCAP target of a 20-30% reduction.
However, it is important to note that no city in Andhra Pradesh has yet reached the revised, more ambitious target of a 40% reduction in PM10 levels as of 2024-25. This goal appears unattainable for most cities without substantial policy shifts and strengthened action plans.
Of the 13 NCAP cities of the state, four cities (Chittoor, Eluru, Ongole, and Guntur) showed reductions between 1% and 20%. Three cities — Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam — recorded increases in PM10 concentrations compared to baseline levels.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Beamed into focus: Lit-up angel atop Victoria dome to be part of Kolkata's night skyline
1 2 3 Kolkata: The rotating fairy atop Victoria Memorial Hall dome will soon be visible 24×7. Between 11 pm and dawn every night, it will shine like a jewel, bringing attention to a less conspicuous detail in one of the city's most celebrated landmarks. While Victoria Memorial Hall is lit up at dusk, the lights are switched off at 11 pm, plunging the marble edifice with the angel perched on the dome into darkness. Though the lights will still go off at 11 pm, 10 light beams will continue to be trained on the Angel of Victory with its wings unfurled, holding a wreath in the left hand and a trumpet in the right. "We will do the final light tests on Monday. If everything is good, the fairy will glow through the night, every night," said VMH secretary and curator-in-charge Anurag Kumar. When heritage lovers' group Kolkata Restorers sought Kumar's permission to try and illuminate the angel, he gave the go-ahead but with multiple conditions, VMH being a protected heritage site. Lighting design and illumination expert Suyash Narsaria was told no equipment could be fixed on the facade and that the dome and the angel were off-limits. "That meant no direct access and no standard lighting solutions. But the limitation was also an opportunity to innovate. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cyprus investments might be cheaper than you think Cyprus Investments | Search Ads Get Info Undo We decided to experiment with narrow-beam focus lights — specifically, 8-degree beam angle fixtures. We did this first from the garden, nearly 350 ft from the fairy. Encouraged by the result, we moved to the terrace for focused and sharper beams," Narsaria said. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata To ensure that the rotating angel is illuminated from all sides, 10 LED focus lights of 18W. Each has been used with eight-degree beam angles, strategically arranged in a 360° layout so that the angel remains evenly lit regardless of its orientation. "The result has been magical. It almost felt like the fixture was designed specifically to highlight the angel — subtle, elegant, and powerful," the illumination expert added. The 4.9-m tall, 3.5-tonne bronze angel, named Victoria after the Roman goddess of victory, is a windvane that rotates in wind in excess of 18 kmph. Created by British sculptor Lindsay Clarke, the angel was shipped from Cheltenham, England, to India in 1920 and installed the following year on the dome, nine years after the memorial was inaugurated.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru's Inner Ring Road makes turnaround after citizen-group intervention
Bengaluru: The 7.5km stretch of the Inner Ring Road (IRR) — from Indiranagar KFC Junction to Madiwala Masjid in Koramangala — has long struggled with traffic congestion caused by the crawling Ejipura flyover project, road safety issues, inadequate pedestrian access, missing crossings, and poor bus frequency. But when citizen-centric organisations collaborate with govt agencies, changes happen. In the past two years, IRR has seen a drastic drop in road accidents and fatalities. Bus frequency has improved to nearly five minutes. Some 4,000 tonnes of construction debris has been removed. And, there is illumination of pedestrian stretches. Commemorating the turnaround, the Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) Saturday unveiled the 'IRR Street: Standstill to Active' report detailing the significant improvements thanks to collaboration with govt agencies such as BBMP, BMTC, Bengaluru Traffic Police, and Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML). You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru A major development was the increase in bus services along the corridor. From Nov 2023 to July 2025, the BMTC fleet on the route expanded from 17 to 26 buses, and the number of daily trips rose from 169 to 227. In terms of road safety, the implementation of rumble strips, raised crossings, and zebra crossings at identified blackspots led to a dramatic reduction in accidents. Between Nov 2024 and Jan 2025, there were zero fatalities and only one non-fatal crash, a stark contrast to the five fatal crashes recorded in the previous year, the report pointed out. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo Additionally, over 4,300 tonnes of debris, 130 construction barricades, and 129 tonnes of garbage were cleared from medians and footpaths. Flooding, a perennial issue, has also been tackled with the construction of shoulder drains with kerb inlets at intervals of 5-7 metres, reduced from the previous 30-metre intervals. However, footpaths and walkability remain major issues that have not been significantly rectified in the area. BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao, who unveiled the report, said, "If you increase the footpaths, you will definitely increase the carrying capacity and it will reduce a lot of other issues and promote safety. This is something we are committed to." Mobility still remains a problem IRR area, being a hub of multinational companies, continues to struggle with limited public transport. On a typical weekday, the path records severe congestion levels, with the queue length exceeding 750 metres, with Wednesdays seemingly having the highest traffic congestion. As per the latest available data from BTP, the congestion length recorded in the city was on June 11, 2025 (Wednesday) at 94.1 km, highlighting a huge mobility crisis. The number for next Wednesday, June 16, was 81.9km. While there is no specific congestion-related data available for IRR, the issues in IRR also point towards the huge number of private vehicles. The only accessible mass public transport for the residents is BMTC buses. An audit conducted by BPAC from 2023 to 2025 at the bus stops of the corridor shows significant overcrowding from 8am to 10am on working days. BMTC buses on routes MF-5/1 & MF-5/8, 201G/3, and 201G/4 were found overcrowded throughout the week across different hours. Despite BMTC increasing its services, the crisis continues. While there is a bus every five minutes, experts argue that the lack of live information regarding schedules creates overcrowding as commuters are unaware of the next bus. "When we observed across bus stops, we found out that several buses get full to the extent that it becomes difficult to breathe. But the next 2-3 buses coming after that go empty as working people don't have a clue of the next bus," said Priyanka Krishnan, research associate, BPAC.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
New Market clock tower restoration starts, exterior repair to begin after rain spell ends
1 2 Kolkata: Work on the repair and restoration of the New Market clock tower has finally begun. Masons have started work inside the tower on Friday, chipping off the damp and portions of the plaster in which cracks appeared. Once the current spell of rain ends, scaffolding will be installed to enable exterior repair work. "Work on restoring the iconic New Market clock tower has started in earnest. Since it has been raining over the past few days, we have started working inside the tower. The scaffolding materials are in place. As soon as there is a dry spell, the scaffolding will be installed around the tower and work will begin on its exterior as well," said restoration architect Anjan Mitra, who is executing the prestigious project that is scheduled to be completed before Poila Baisakh next year. The tower with the four-faced clock and its Westminster chimes that survived monsoons and storms for nearly a century was left severely battered by cyclonic storm Amphan in May 2020. Lack of maintenance thereafter caused further damage. Water seeped in, causing cracks in the structure. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The timber floors and decorative elements, including cast iron railings, got corroded. The wooden slats in the spire have fallen apart, and the Westminster chimes and hourly dongs have stopped. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo Portions of the intricate glasses that made up the 7-ft diameter dials went missing, and wild vegetation has taken root. "We will have to strengthen the structural stability of the tower, stop seepage of water, repair the flooring and the interior, improve light and ventilation, replace damaged artwork, and overhaul the clock and its chiming mechanism. The entire work will take around six months," said Mitra, who has restored the Metropolitan Building, Howrah Town Hall, and Sister Nivedita's house. The clock tower is the most defining architectural feature in the 151-year-old New Market. While Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which owns the market, announced plans two years ago to carry out a thorough repair and revamp of the market to mark its 150th anniversary, it has been unable to set the ball rolling despite funds being approved by the state govt. A private firm, Techno Electric, has now stepped in to fund the clock tower's restoration. "I came to the city 50 years ago as a bank employee, ventured into business, and established myself. It feels good to be able to do something for the city,"company MD, P P Gupta said. Once the repair work of the top section of the tower is complete, clock mechanism experts Swapan and Satyajit Dutta, the father-son duo that has repaired and revived multiple public clock mechanisms in the city in recent years, will undertake the restoration of the Gillett & Johnston clock of the UK. "The overhaul will take around two months," said Satyajit.
