Jammu And Kashmir: Srinagar Air Quality Turns Hazardous As AQI Touches 200, IMD Says…

Kashmir, known as the paradise on earth, is witnessing massive air quality changes for the first time. IMD attributes the AQI deterioration to a prolonged dry spell with no rain or snow. While doctors advised the elderly and children’s and patients to stay indoors as the illness ratio has risen abruptly. 

Air Quality Index (AQI) in the paradise of earth, Kashmir, has reached concerning levels, currently sitting in the "Unhealthy" to "Very Unhealthy" range in various locations, with PM2.5 concentrations often far exceeding the World Health Organization's safe limits. Doctors have confirmed that this is a major growing concern, warning of severe health implications for the city's residents. 

Recent data shows the AQI in parts of Srinagar ranging from approximately 172 to 200 or even higher, depending on the specific location and time of day. Exposure to these PM2.5 levels for 24 hours has been likened to the health impact of smoking 10 cigarettes in a day, an alarming comparison highlighting the seriousness of the situation. 

Health experts, including senior doctors at government hospitals, have explicitly stated that this repeated exposure increases the risk of Breathing problems, Heart disease, and other Chronic illnesses like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Lung cancer. 

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Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah, a renowned pulmonologist and chest specialist and Head of Chest Medicine at Government Medical College Srinagar, has made several statements regarding the serious health risks posed by Srinagar's deteriorating air quality, particularly during winter.  

Dr Naveed said, “The lack of rain and snow traps pollutants, leading to a rise in issues like eye, nasal, and throat irritation, coughing, breathing difficulties, and chest tightness. The number of patients reporting these ailments has significantly increased during dry cold spells. 

The air quality worsens symptoms for people with pre-existing conditions like asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

He added, “Prolonged exposure to pollutants may lead to serious conditions, including neurological issues, a higher risk of cancer, and complications during pregnancy. He emphasized that high-risk individuals, including the elderly and children, are most vulnerable to these effects. 

The absence of precipitation, rain, or snow is a major factor, as it fails to settle the suspended particulate matter in the air, allowing it to mix with fog and create hazardous smog. While natural relief from the weather is helpful, it cannot be relied upon solely. 

Dr. Naveed said, “We need greater societal awareness and strong government action to reduce pollution levels, such as stopping waste burning and controlling vehicular emissions.”

He advised the public to take precautions, saying the elderly and children should limit time outdoors in cold and polluted conditions. Wear masks and cover your mouth as well as your nose if you go out. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributes the worsening air quality, particularly during winter, is because of prolonged dry, calm weather and a "bowl-shaped" valley topography that traps pollutants near the ground, preventing dispersion. Biomass burning, use of coal-based heaters (hamams), vehicular traffic, construction dust, and waste burning are significant contributors. Frequent power outages force residents to rely on less clean heating methods like wood and coal, exacerbating indoor and outdoor pollution. 

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Srinagar, primarily speaks about the weather patterns and their direct influence on the air quality situation in the Kashmir Valley. 

Dr. Mukhtar said that Kashmir is witnessing a continuous decline in precipitation since the last four years, and rain deficit is at around 86 per cent, while snow deficit is around 50 per cent, and no wet spell is seen in the coming time, not only in Kashmir but in the whole of north India, which has raised a concern. 

Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said, “In the last few years, there’s a decline pattern in precipitation, cold is growing, and there is now a major wet spell, and it will remain dry weather for the last 2 months.”

There are reports from Srinagar hospitals confirming a significant increase in the patient load and hospital admissions, particularly related to respiratory and cardiac issues, which they directly link to the poor air quality and cold weather. 

Every hospital outpatient department (OPD), like the Chest and Diseases Hospital and SMHS hospital, is full of coughing and panting patients waiting to be seen. Hundreds of children are treated as outdoor patients daily, and adults with pre-existing conditions like asthma and COPD experience a worsening of symptoms that forces them into hospital care.

The consensus among the medical community is that the current air quality crisis, combined with winter conditions and power shortages forcing the use of biomass heating in complete dry weather, is a major contributing factor to this increased patient influx. The dry and foggy conditions and absence of significant rainfall or snowfall mean pollutants are not "washed" out of the atmosphere. This results in the accumulation of particulate matter near the surface, leading to a dip in air quality and the formation of haze or smog.

Global climate has created ongoing dry spells and has shortened winters, which are disrupting normal weather cycles and impacting the region's environment and economy. Those changing weather cycles are seen as a major threat to human life.