Air quality turns ‘severe’ as AQI nears 300 in Kashmir valley

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Kashmir’s well-known mountain air is turning dangerously polluted, as the Valley’s air quality dipped into the ‘Severe’ category this week.

Data from AQI.in, showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of Jammu and Kashmir touching 288, while Srinagar recorded between 147 (“Poor”) and 172 (“Unhealthy”) in the past 24 hours.

As per data obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), pollution levels remained high with PM10 ranging between 136 and 243 micrograms per cubic metre and PM2.5 between 86 and 167 micrograms per cubic metre, both far above the World Health Organization’s safe limits.

Environmental observers say a mix of stagnant cold air, vehicle emissions, open burning and widespread use of firewood for heating has turned the Valley into a “pollution bowl