Siliguri air quality map

How much fascinating information about air quality can be seen on the air pollution map for Siliguri?

There is a wealth of valuable information about air quality on the air pollution map for Siliguri and it is very easy to access from the main city page. The air pollution map for Siliguri will be seen at the top of the main city page and clicking on it will open a new page containing all relevant information about the current air quality.

When the map opens, the city will be seen towards the centre of the page, surrounded by a solid colour which is a strong visualisation of the current air quality. There will be some coloured circles or discs on the map, the number of which will depend on how many stations there are in the city because they represent the locations of the ground-level air monitoring stations. If selected, each individual disc holds a wealth of information about the current state of the air in that area. This can be very useful to know when planning a journey to other areas.

At the centre of these discs is a number which is the United States Air Quality Index reading from that particular station. It is calculated by taking the measurements of up to six of the most commonly found pollutants in city air. These are usually both sizes of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone. Once established it is used as a metric when comparing air quality in different places across the globe. It has the complete backing of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Looking back to the main page, it can be seen in the coloured banner at the top of the page that Siliguri was experiencing a period of air quality classified as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” during January 2023. The US AQI reading was 148 and the main pollutant was PM2.5 with a recorded level of 54.8 µg/m³ which is eleven times higher that the suggested target figure of 5 µg/m³ as recommended by the WHO.

Immediately beneath the air pollution map for Siliguri is shown the number of contributors there are that collate and present the information about air quality. There are currently two government organisations that operate just one station. They are the Central Pollution Control Board and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).

Is there any more valuable information about air quality on the air pollution map for Siliguri?

There is a lot more fascinating information about air quality on the air pollution map for Siliguri but the page needs to be viewed at maximum size so all the facts will be visible. This is easy to achieve by selecting the icon which is found at the top of the opening screen.

Once viewed in full-screen mode, a list of four choices will appear down the left-hand side of the screen. They can all be toggled on or off individually to get a better idea of the effects they each have on the map.

The first option shows the location of all the ground-level air monitoring stations in and around the city. These can all be explored further to find out even more information about that specific part of the city.

The next option shows the location of any wildfires that might be burning out of control in the vicinity, however, at the time of writing, there were no icons on the map which means there were no fires of significant size burning in the area. If there were any fires, then option four needs to be looked at because it shows the speed and direction of the prevailing winds and will give an idea of where the smoke may blow.

Option number three uses colours to visually show the current state of the air by flooding the map with a corresponding colour, the significance of which can be seen in the legend at the foot of the page. This colouration can be turned off if it is too confusing and distracting.

More information can be found on the right-hand side of the screen where a table will be seen. This extra information shows the ranking of the seven most polluted cities in the world. The full-ranking of all participating world cities can be found by choosing this wording and opening another page which lists the rest of the cities in descending order.

Immediately below the air pollution map for Siliguri can be seen a list of all operating stations ranked according to their pollution levels. Because there is only one station in the city the list has just the one entry which is the station at Ward-32 Bapupara, Siliguri – WBPCB.

The next list shows the popularity of the stations with the one at Ward-32 Bapupara, Siliguri – WBPCB having 32 loyal followers.

Is the source of the polluted air shown on the air quality map for Siliguri?

While the source of air pollution is not shown directly on the air quality map for Siliguri, it is known that smoke is the main cause of pollution in the atmosphere. The smoke emanating from buses, lorries, rickshaws, scooters and many other self-driving vehicles in the cities is increasing day by day. Due to this, the evidence of all these gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide is increasing in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide gas is considered the number one pollutant. It not only makes the air poisonous; it also drastically changes the climate. It is considered to be the biggest contributor to climate change.

Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are always quoted on the air pollution map for Siliguri, but where do they come from?

There are outdoor and indoor sources of fine particles. Outside, fine particles primarily come from cars, lorries, buses and off-road vehicles (e.g., construction equipment, locomotives) exhausts, and other operations that involve the burning of fuels such as wood, heating oil or coal and natural sources such as forest and grass fires. Fine particles also form from the reaction of gases or droplets in the atmosphere from sources such as power plants. These chemical reactions can occur miles from the original source of the emissions.