Bhubaneswar: The increase in vehicular movement and other factors have contributed to the rise in air pollution level in seven cities and towns in Odisha. It has reached an alarming state.
Odisha government has termed these places as non-attainment cities after accepting the presence of dangerous air pollutants like PM10 and PM2.5 in the air of the seven cities and towns.
Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, while responding to a query in the state assembly, said that air pollutions levels have been soaring in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Angul, Talcher, Rourkela and Kalinganagar and these cities have been categorised as the non-attainment city.
The minister, however, said that the levels of SO2 and NOX in the air of these towns and cities are within the limits.
The state government has already taken note of the situation and chalked out plans to reduce the pollution level in these towns and cities.
This development came after BJD MLA from Salipur, Prasanta Behera sought to know the places in the state where air pollution is on the rise and what steps the government has taken to address the matter.
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