Ahmedabad’s air quality plunges to ‘hazardous’ levels, AQI crosses 200 amid claims of pollution control

Ahmedabad recorded dangerously poor air quality on Thursday as the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) surged past 200, raising serious health concerns, especially for people with respiratory and cardiac ailments. Several monitoring stations reported AQI readings between 203 and 222, putting the city in a pollution bracket comparable to Delhi’s winter smog.

Weather fluctuations linked to the slow onset of winter have contributed to rising pollution levels, with early-morning haze making breathing difficult for residents. 

PM10 concentrations spiked across the city, with Thaltej and Bodakdev among the worst-affected areas, both recording AQI above 220.

Doctors report an increase in cases of cough, cold and bronchitis, warning that fine particulate matter is reaching deep into the lungs and raising the risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). For individuals who previously contracted Covid-19, the worsening air pollution could be particularly harmful. Medical experts advise vulnerable groups to wear masks outdoors.

Despite crores of rupees being spent on pollution-control programmes, including the National Clean Air Programme, little improvement is visible, with experts noting that much of the plan appears to exist only on paper.