Pune records cleanest Jan since 2016, finds study

Pune recorded the lowest PM2.5 levels in Jan this year when compared to the same month in the last six years, revealed a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The average levels were 54 g/m3, six points below the daily National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 60 g/m3.
"The change is a combination of meteorological factors and efforts by agencies to restrict air pollution.A fraction of reduction might be attributed to fewer emissions from local sources such as transport and construction, and meteorology, too, played a significant role in the reduction," Sunil Dahiya, an analyst for CREA, said. The study gathered data from eight Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) stations of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) from Jan 2016 to Jan 2024 while omitting Jan 2018 and the first 13 days of Jan 2023 due to the lack of data.
The head of the air quality programme at IITM, Sachine Ghude, said that meteorological factors also helped to reduce the PM2.5 levels. "We had a warmer winter in Jan, compared to other years. The meteorological factors favoured ventilation of pollution rather than accumulating it near the surface, and the winds supported the dispersion of pollution," he said. Pune also performed better on the air quality index (AQI), with over 20 days classified in the 'good' and 'satisfactory' categories.