Imphal, March 22 2009: Largely due to the Sewerage Project and road development works taken up since the last two years, dust pollution of Imphal has reached "high pollution category".

According to a reliable source in the Manipur Pollution Control Board, content of SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) in the atmosphere of Imphal City reached 134 micro gram.

This was within the annual permissible limit.

In 2008, content of SPM in atmosphere reached 165.With the SPM content rising during the year, the level of air pollution has attained high pollution category, conveyed the source.

During the same period, content of RSPM (Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter) in the atmosphere also increased to an alarming level.

On the average, RSPM content in 2007 was 66 micro gram.

This was increased to 82.3 micro gram in 2008.The RSPM content recorded in 2007 and 2008 were above the annual permissible limit.

In accordance to the RSPM content recorded in the past two years, Imphal city has been put under high pollution category.

The content of SPM and RSPM may rise even more during the current year aggravating air pollution of Imphal city to the level of critical pollution category, the MPCB source disclosed.

The content of SPM was found alarmingly high when MPCB monitored the atmosphere for 24 hours at Nagamapal and Uripok.

At Nagamapal, SPM content in the atmosphere was recorded at 589 micro gram while the figure was 480 micro gram at Uripok.

These figures are well above those prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Under such condition, inhabitants of Imphal city face great risks of getting eye and lung infection as well as skin diseases, cautioned the source.

As the work of Sewerage Project and road development works are mainly responsible for the soaring air pollution level in Imphal city, MPCB Member Secretary wrote to the Chief Secretary in January last year to water all important roads in regular intervals.

Although, the atmospheric contents of SPM and RSPM are very high in Imphal city, percentages of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide contained in the atmosphere are under law category, added the source.

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