Air quality in Hapur

What is the level of air pollution now in Hapur city?

Hapur is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is 60 kilometres to the east of New Delhi. A census conducted in 2011 estimated the population to be approximately 263,000 people.

Towards the middle of 2021, Hapur was experiencing a period of air quality that could be classed as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a US AQI reading of 131. This is an internationally recognised system that enables comparisons to be made between different cities even if they are in different countries. The standard metrics remain the same. It follows the guidelines suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is calculated by measuring the concentrations of up to six of the most commonly occurring pollutants in the air. Sometimes the information is not available for all six, so the information that is available is used. In the case of Hapur, only two readings were available, these were as follows: PM2.5 - 10.8 µg/m³ and PM10 - 52 µg/m³.

With elevated levels such as these, it is highly recommended to stay indoors and close all doors and windows to prevent more dirty air from entering the rooms. Those groups of people who are particularly sensitive to poor air quality should wear a good quality mask when venturing outside although prolonged periods of outdoor activity are not recommended until the air quality improves. The table at the top of this page will assist you with this choice. It is advisable to use an air purifier if one is available.

Is the level of air pollution in Hapur the same throughout the year?

Air pollution can be very volatile as it is affected by many variables. It can change throughout the course of a day depending on the prevailing winds and temperatures.

Figures have now been published by the Swiss air monitoring company IQAir.com, and it can be seen that Hapur enjoys the best quality air during the summer months of June, July and August. This period can be classed as “Moderate” with figures between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³. From January until the end of May, the air quality was “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with readings between 35.5 and 55.4 µg/m³. The same level was seen in September with 42.6 µg/m³ and December with 50.9 µg/m³. For the remaining two months of October and November, the air quality was classed as being “Unhealthy” with readings between 55.5 and 150.4 µg/m³.

Historic information is available from 2017 for some cities but this unfortunately is not the case with Hapur Records are only available from 2020 when the annual average was recorded as being 44.2. Even so, this figure may well be artificially lower because of the precautions put into place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many private vehicles were not in use because the drivers could work from home so there was no need to drive to the office or factory. Many factories too were closed if they were non-essential. This made a big difference to the air quality.

Where does the polluted air in Hapur come from?

Pollution levels have been steadily increasing recently and the main reason for this is believed to be dust blowing in the scorching sun and the operation of industrial activities. At the same time, pollution is constantly increasing due to reduced wind speed and increasing humidity.

Increasing vehicular pressure on roads, the commencement of industrial activities and construction work is being considered as the main reason.

According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ghaziabad had an AQI of 478 on Wednesday, the highest in the entire country. This was followed by Baghpat with 461 AQI at number four, Noida (450) at number five, Greater Noida (438) at number six and Hapur (435) at number seven. These are the 8 most polluted cities in Uttar Pradesh.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a more deadly disease due to increasing air pollution. COPD has always been considered a smoker's disease, but now COPD is becoming a major case among non-smokers. Cases of COPD are increasing among people due to increasing levels of air pollution.

What can be done to improve the air quality in Hapur?

A lot of air pollution comes directly from the burning of crop residue in the surrounding agricultural areas. The government is introducing machines that will compress the stubble which then make it suitable for use in furnaces for power production. The briquettes will be bought from the farmers so as to encourage them to partake in the incentive and not burn the residue in the fields.

Manufacturing outlets are being encouraged to install filters on their chimneys to reduce the pollutants which are released into the atmosphere.

Some cities are also banning vehicles which are older than 15 years as they have not been fitted with the latest technology which reduces the emissions.

Cleaner fuel is encouraged to be used in domestic appliances but this can be more expensive than dried dung so is not popular with rural communities.

What effect does polluted air in Hapur have on human health?

Air pollution causes respiratory diseases such as COPD. Due to air pollution, bronchial asthma takes extreme form. Apart from this, it causes fatigue, headache and anxiety, irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, damage to the nervous system, bad effects on the cardiovascular system.

During the winter season the humidity in the air will decrease, the straw will be burnt in the fields, due to all this, the pollution in winter reaches its highest level. In the last 30 years, many fatal effects on health have been due to air pollution. These include respiratory diseases such as asthma and lung problems, cardiovascular diseases, bad results in pregnancy such as premature delivery and even death.

Children are more vulnerable than adults, so air pollution has a greater effect on them. And they fall ill. Because of which diseases such as bronchitis occur in children. Children should be kept indoors during times of high air pollution, so that they can be protected from air pollution.

Even strong, healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. The actual risk of adverse effects depends on your existing health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of exposure to polluted air.