Gandhinagar: Amid a sharp deterioration in air quality across major Gujarat cities during the Diwali season, environmental organisation Paryavaran Mitra has urged the state govt to undertake a comprehensive scientific assessment of air pollution, solid waste management and water pollution, and prepare an action plan based on the findings.In a letter to the chief secretary, the NGO’s director, Mahesh Pandya, said the air quality index in Ahmedabad and several other major cities hovered around 500 during the festive period. While emissions from firecrackers contributed to the spike in pollution, it would be incorrect to attribute the entire deterioration in air quality to crackers alone, he said.Pandya called for ward-wise assessments in major cities to identify the specific factors responsible for poor air quality in different localities. He suggested that the study examine construction and roadworks, public transport availability, green cover, solid waste management practices, temperature patterns and wind direction.
