Vadodara air quality map

What information is contained within the air quality map for Vadodara?

When the air quality map for Vadodara is accessed from the main city page, the viewer will see a number of coloured circles over the city name. These mark the positions of ground-level monitoring stations. The colour of each disc represents the air quality in that vicinity. The meaning of the colours is fully explained in the legend at the bottom of the screen The colours go from pale green which shows good quality air to yellow, orange and red to purple and maroon which indicates hazardous quality. These colours are used throughout the IQAir website. When looking at the air quality map for Vadodara, the background colour is currently yellowish which reflects the overall air quality as being “Moderate”.

Printed on each disc is a number which represents the US AQI reading which is a standard set of metrics endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is calculated by measuring six of the most prolific pollutants and can be then used as a standard when comparing other cities.

Each disc represents the location of a ground monitoring station and is active when chosen which will open a dedicated page for that station in that part of the city. Once opened, the viewer will be presented with a host of information particularly about that area of the city. All the measured pollutants will be listed along with some advice as to how best to stay safe under those conditions.

If there are any significant fires burning in the vicinity of the city, a symbol will appear on the air pollution map for Vadodara. When consulted at the same time as the wind speed and direction, the user will get a warning if the ensuing smoke will affect the city air quality, or not.

Can any other information be extracted from the air pollution map for Vadodara?

Once the air pollution map for Vadodara is opened, directly underneath it can be seen the number of contributors and the number of stations providing the air quality information. For Vadodara, there were two contributors and eight stations. These stations are then listed in descending order with the station with the highest reading at the top of the table. Gujrat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd AAQMS_4 returned a US AQI reading of 160 which is classified as being “Unhealthy”. Scrolling further down the page can be seen a list of these stations with their number of followers. These are people who have expressed an interest in getting notified of any changes to the air quality.

Looking back at the map again, you will see four options on the left-hand side of the screen which can be deactivated if required. They offer the location of the ground monitoring stations, the location of any wildfires which might affect the air quality in the city, the overall air quality and the direction the wind is blowing. This is particularly useful when looked at in conjunction with the location of any local fires.

On the right-hand side of the screen is a table which shows other cities around the world with the highest levels of pollution. This can be interesting to compare your home city with others.

For the most comprehensive amount of information regarding air quality, both the city page and the air pollution page should be consulted simultaneously. During the second quarter of 2022, Vadodara was experiencing a period of air quality classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 120. The main pollutant was PM2.5 with a level of 43.4 µg/m³. This is almost nine times the level of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

How can areas of poor air quality be identified on the air pollution map for Vadodara?

Looking at the numbers on the discs will show the areas of poor air quality. As previously stated, the higher the number, the worse the air quality. Failing that, the list beneath the map shows the stations in descending order so it is easy to see that the Gujrat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd AAQMS_4 station returned the worst air quality with a US AQI reading of 160 which is “Unhealthy”.

Can the source of the air pollution be identified from the air quality map for Vadodara?

As already stated, the areas of poor air quality can be identified from the map, but they do not reveal the actual source of the polluted air.

Local authorities are working towards a cleaner environment and a reduction in air pollution. They intend to strengthen the public transport system, implement the mechanical cleaning of roads, increase the parking facilities, fuel quality, traffic management, and strictly control construction activities on the basis of guidelines. Strict control is necessary especially on the activities of brick kilns, thermal power plants and coal-based air polluting industrial units.

There are many industries and power plants in India from where polluted smoke is emitted and this smoke mixes in the air and also pollutes the air. Along with the growing population, our needs are also increasing and people have more and more private vehicles. By using private vehicles instead of public vehicles, the polluted smoke emitted from vehicles spreads pollution in the air.

PM2.5 appears frequently on the air quality map for Vadodara, but what is it?

Air is a very essential element of our life. Air is a mixture of many gases, when mixed in the right proportion, it is very beneficial for our life. In air pollution, the proportion of the mixture of these gases changes. There is an excess of harmful gases and dust particles in this mixture, which is very harmful to human life. These harmful gas and dust particles enter inside our body through breathing and give rise to new diseases inside the body, due to which all the parts of the body are unable to do their work smoothly.

PM2.5 are those atmospheric dust particles, which cannot be seen with the normal eye. An electron microscope is used to see them. These particles include dust, automobile emissions, and particulates of cooking smoke. The diameter of PM2.5 is less than 2.5 micrometres. The particles of PM2.5 are smaller than the particles of PM10. PM2.5 particles make up about 3 per cent of the diameter of a human hair.