Air quality in Narnaul

Is there a high level of air pollution in Narnaul?

Narnaul is a city located in the state of Haryana, a state found in the northern region of India. Narnaul is also the headquarters of Mahendragarh district, one of twenty two districts within Haryana state. As per a very outdated census, there were some 145,000 people living in the city as of 2011, a number that will have grown exponentially since then. Narnaul has some fairly bad levels of air quality present, placing it very high amongst the worlds most polluted cities, with PM2.5 readings from years past showing less than amicable levels of air quality.

In early May of 2021, Narnaul was seen with a US AQI reading of 81, a reading that classed it as ‘moderate’ for the day and time in which it was taken. This means that the air would have a mild amount of contamination present, with fine particles both of the coarse (PM10) and fine (PM2.5) variety found floating around in the air, along with other forms of pollution.

US AQI is a composite number made up from a variety of different pollutants, namely the most common or prominent ones found in the atmosphere. These include the two aforementioned particle types, as well as ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). These are then calculated based on their quantity in the air to form the US AQI level, with the US part of the name referring to the more stringent American standard by which the air quality is held.

Whilst this reading of 81 on the US AQI scale was not by any means terrible (although it could certainly improve), observing the days and months prior to this, it can be seen that Narnaul came in with many readings that displayed some extreme spikes in the pollution levels. To cite some examples, some US AQI readings that were on record over April were numbers such as 171, 184 and 186. These are all well within the ‘unhealthy’ air quality ratings bracket, indicating that the air would be considerably more dangerous to breathe, particularly for those who belong to vulnerable demographics of the population.

The most extreme reading of air pollution taken over April of 2021 was 308, a number that would classify the air as being ‘hazardous’ on the day in which it was taken. This means that the atmosphere would be absolutely permeated by smoke, haze, smog and all manner of noxious pollutants, as well as potential clouds of hazardous particulate matter, which can cause a myriad of health issues when breathed, some of which will be discussed in further detail at the end of the article.

People such as young children or babies, expectant mothers, the elderly and infirm, as well as those with pre-existing health conditions or hypersensitivity towards chemicals would all be gravely affected by these higher levels of air pollution.

In closing, Narnaul is a city that has short periods of relatively decent air quality, and then is subject to some more extreme spikes that can render the air very dangerous to breathe, indicating that many improvements will need to be made in the coming years in order to ensure a safer level of air quality for its citizens to breathe.

Why is there a high level of air pollution in Narnaul?

Narnaul sees higher levels of air pollution due to similar reasons that are seen in many cities across India, and indeed other countries adjacent to it, also suffering from their own pollutive issues. Cars and other personal or smaller vehicles would release large volumes of exhaust fumes, which can coalesce in both the air and on ground level, causing road dust to accumulate (from a mixture of particulate matter such as finely ground gravel dust being churned into the air from the constant stream of vehicles driving over these often poorly paved roads, mixed with pollutants emitted from the car engine itself such as black carbon).

Heavier freight vehicles would also be large contributors to the pollution levels caused by automobiles, with the diesel fuel often utilized giving out greater amounts of contaminants. Other prominent sources include the aforementioned poorly paved roads, road repairs, demolition sites (essentially any site or activity that sees large amounts of earth or dust disturbed and thus thrown up into the atmosphere where it becomes part of the PM2.5 or PM10 collective). Factories, power plants and other similar industrial sites also play a large role, along with the burning of waste or refuse out in the open, as well as other organic materials such as wood, charcoal or even crops being burnt in nearby vicinities.

When does Narnaul see its cleanest level of air quality?

Narnaul sees its best level of air quality in the months of March through to September, going off of the data collected over the course of 2020. These months mostly fell into the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ bracket, and whilst this is still far from optimal, it represents a time in which the air quality level is less dangerous than the months at the beginning and end of the year. The cleanest month of the year was August, with a reading of 24.4 μg/m³, placing it in the ‘moderate’ pollution ratings bracket.

When does Narnaul have its highest levels of air pollution?

Looking once again at the air quality levels collected over the course of 2020, it can be seen that Narnaul had a yearly average of 49.2 μg/m³, placing it within the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups bracket’.

This reading also ranked it in 47^th place out of all cities in India over 2020, as well as 107^th place out of all cities ranked worldwide. In regards to the months that had the highest levels of pollution, they were January, as well as October through to December. These PM2.5 readings were 55.6 μg/m³, 72.9 μg/m³, 76.1 μg/m³ and 79.9 μg/m³ respectively, making December the most polluted month of the year.

What health hazards can occur from breathing polluted air in Narnaul?

Health hazards that may occur when breathing polluted air in Narnaul include conditions such as bronchitis, pneumonia and emphysema, particularly prevalent amongst the vulnerable portions of the population, as well as those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or are smokers, making the chances of such ailments occurring even higher.

Other conditions include irritation to the eyes, ears and mouth as well as all exposed mucous membranes, with even the skin itself being subject to irritation and aggravated breakouts such as acne, atopic dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. Serious conditions that may occur include strokes, heart attacks, ischemic heart disease, damage to the lungs, liver and kidneys, as well as fertility rates being severely affected due to damage to the reproductive system.