Neeri Flags City’s Toxic Air, High Decibels, Dirty Water

Nagpur: The Environment Status Report (ESR) 2024-25 of Nagpur city, prepared by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), has flagged serious and persistent environmental concerns across the city, ranging from air pollution and noise violations to deteriorating water quality. The report will be tabled by NMC's public health engineering (PHE) dept before the general body meeting on April 22.A cursory look at the ESR by TOI revealed air pollution continues to be Nagpur's most pressing concern, with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) consistently breaching limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. While other pollutants remain largely within permissible levels, the report identifies PM pollution as the most significant citywide environmental issue.NEERI-prepared ESR highlights Nagpur's environmental challenges are systemic and persistent, calling for urgent policy action, stricter enforcement and sustainable urban planning to prevent further deterioration.Data from Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) shows a distinct daily pattern. PM levels peak during late evening and night hours, dip between 1-7am, rise again through morning, fall in the afternoon, and increase once more till midnight. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) shows a noticeable rise after 6pm. NEERI attributes these fluctuations to traffic movement patterns, especially traders returning home late using 2-wheelers and cars, which contribute significantly to emissions.Despite this, Nagpur's Air Quality Index (AQI) largely remains in the "moderate" category during post-monsoon and winter. However, location-specific spikes persist. Mahal records higher AQI levels during May, June and winter months, while Ram Nagar peaks in April and November. Ambazari sees higher pollution levels from July to Oct, indicating seasonal and spatial variation.Noise pollution has emerged as another major concern. Monitoring across 10 zones using the "Noise Tracker" app reveals widespread non-compliance, particularly in designated silence zones near hospitals and schools. Areas like Dharampeth, Lakadganj and Gandhibagh show near-total violations, with Lakadganj recording 94.4% non-compliance, followed by Gandhibagh (87.5%) and Dhantoli (83.3%). Vehicular traffic and commercial activity are identified as the primary drivers, with some zones recording noise levels exceeding 70 decibels throughout the day. Violations peak during festivals such as Diwali, especially between 8 pm and 10 pm.Water quality findings are equally alarming. River water in Nagpur has been deemed unfit for drinking, bathing and irrigation due to high chemical oxygen demand, phosphate levels and the presence of faecal coliform bacteria. The report attributes this to untreated sewage discharge, waste dumping and animal activity along riverbanks.Groundwater quality also shows signs of stress. Several samples recorded bacteriological contamination, with total coliform levels marked as "Too Numerous To Count" (TNTC). Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels vary sharply, ranging from 323 mg/L to 2,200 mg/L, indicating localised contamination hotspots.Further, groundwater levels show fluctuations between 0.36 m and 3.83 m below ground level during pre-monsoon, with some areas witnessing a steady annual decline of up to 0.40 m.Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.