Air quality in Sirsa

Does Sirsa have a bad level of air pollution?

Sirsa is a city that has poor levels of air quality in times both past and present. There a number of compounding factors as to why this occurs, with many of them being discussed in the following question. Whilst Sirsa has some bad levels of air pollution, these occurrences are somewhat sporadic in nature, sometimes spiking up to extreme heights, whilst at other times sitting at more appreciable levels.

To cite an example, in early May of 2021, Sirsa was seen with a US AQI reading of 58 in the morning. This is a relatively low reading of US AQI that would be classified as ‘moderate’ in nature, meaning that whilst the air is somewhat clean, there would still be certain amounts of smoke, fine particles and other contaminating elements permeating the air, although in far lesser number than what has been on record. As such, this shows the unpredictable nature of air pollution within Sirsa, something that is also prevalent throughout many cities in India.

Looking back at the readings of US AQI taken in the months prior to the above mentioned reading of 58, it can be seen that there were numbers that went up far in excess of this moderate level. US AQI refers to a measurement that is a composite figure comprised of the several different main air pollutants typically found within the atmosphere, emitted by the most common polluting sources.

Some of these pollutants are ones such as particulate matter (both PM2.5 and PM10, with the smaller sized PM2.5 being of significantly more danger to human health, as well as prominent measure of pollution in its own right), along with chemical compounds such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ozone (O₃).

Other readings of US AQI taken over both April and May of 2021 were readings such as 109, 114 and 136, all of which were classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, and then going up even higher to readings such as 152, 161 and 177, all of which are classed as being ‘unhealthy’, indicating that the air would most certainly be far more permeated with hazardous clouds of both fine and coarse particulate matter, noxious fumes, smog and a number of other contaminants.

As mentioned, this shows that the air quality in Sirsa can vary by great amounts, with certain days having a better quality of air whilst others move more into the dangerous territory. As such, vulnerable members of the population should take extra care in order to reduce the level of exposure that they may be subject to.

These groups include people such as young children and babies, expectant mothers, those with pre-existing health conditions or compromised immune systems, as well as the elderly or infirm. Preventative measures such as the wearing of fine particle filtering masks can be implemented, as well as avoiding outdoor activity during bouts of high pollution. These periods of higher pollution can be tracked via the air quality map available on this page, or via the AirVisual app.

What is causing these higher levels of polluted air is Sirsa?

Higher levels of air pollution in Sirsa are caused by a multitude of sources, all of which come together to form the compounded numbers seen on record. Other factors can play a part as well, with meteorological conditions having a large sway over pollution accumulations. Heavy wind can blow large amounts of smoke or dust into city limits where it can get trapped by the urban infrastructure such as long rows of tall buildings, and a lack of prevailing wind or rain to remove it can allow it to accumulate up to even higher levels. Of note is that wind is a far more effective remover of air pollution that rain is, particularly when it comes to finer particles.

The main causes of air pollution present in the city include heavy use of vehicles, both smaller personal ones such as cars, motorbikes and tuk tuk’s, as well as larger freight vehicles such as trucks or lorries used to transport industrial items and various other articles of produce. The fumes given out in the exhaust of these vehicles can cause large spikes in air pollution, particularly during rush hour periods.

Other sources of air pollution include ones such as construction sites, the open burning of trash or waste, as well as slash and burn farming tactics leading to vast fields of crop stubble being set ablaze. The smoke that arises from such areas can be blown many miles with the correct wind conditions, polluting cities that are a great distance away.

When are pollution levels at their worst in Sirsa?

Observing the air quality data collected over 2020, it can be seen that Sirsa came in with a PM2.5 reading of 47.2 μg/m³, a reading that placed it in the ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ bracket, which requires a reading of 35.5 to 55.4 μg/m³ to be classified as such. This reading placed it in 53^rd place out of all cities ranked in India, as well as in 122^nd place out of all cities ranked worldwide, as of 2020.

In regards to the most polluted months of the year collected over 2020, the last three months of the year had the highest readings, coming in at 77.8 μg/m³, 75.8 μg/m³ and 55.3 μg/m³ respectively. This made October the most polluted month with its PM2.5 reading of 77.8 μg/m³.

Does the air quality improve in Sirsa over certain months?

Whilst Sirsa is subject to fluctuating levels of air pollution throughout the year, leaving little room for improved periods of air quality, there were several months that came in with ‘moderate’ ratings of air quality (12.1 to 35.4 μg/m³ required). These were March, July and August, which had respective readings of 34.6 μg/m³, 28.3 μg/m³ and 23.7 μg/m³. This made August the cleanest month of the year by a fairly significant amount.

What are some health risks attached to pollution exposure in Sirsa?

Some health issues that would appear to those who suffer from over exposure to pollution include instances of dry or prolonged coughs, as well as irritation to the mucous membranes, particularly the mouth, eyes and throat, as well as the nose and ears. Skin conditions may arise as a result of irritation or aggravation from offending particles or chemicals, with acne, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis all being possible.

More serious conditions that would appear include ones such as ischemic heart disease, liver and kidney failure, damage to the reproductive system as well as scarring of the lung tissue. This can lead to a whole host of respiratory conditions, with ones such as pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma being prevalent.