Dehradun AQI Almost Touches 300 — What Could Be The Reason?

Experts say that the rising pollution levels, increased vehicular traffic, garbage burning and forest fires are one of the major reasons. They warned that deteriorating air quality can give rise to health risks, particularly to children and the elderly, leading to breathing difficulties and throat irritation.

Local residents say Dehradun’s air quality has been steadily worsening for years. Vineet N, a resident, told NDTV Profit that unchecked construction and deforestation are adding pressure on the city’s environment.

"There is rampant construction. Land is being sold to people from NCR who are flattening hills and building independent floors. Deforestation is happening in many parts of the city," he said.

Yash, a resident of Dehradun, said that the city's air quality has been continuously deteriorating over the past few years. "Deforestation is a major reason for this. A large number of trees have been cut down. When the AQI is above 200, elderly people have difficulty breathing when they go outside. They experience a burning sensation in their throats, and the problem worsens during the winter," he told news agency PTI.

According to another local resident, Rachit said, "The biggest cause of pollution here is traffic." Additionally, forest fires in Uttarakhand also contribute to air pollution, as per reports in the agency.

According to locals, if concrete steps are not taken in time, there will be very little difference between the air quality of Dehradun and Delhi. Experts are warning that the increasing pollution in hill towns could become a serious health challenge in the future.

Meanwhile, Dehradun’s smart LED displays that are installed to provide real-time public information are also under scrutiny.

In several locations, residents say the boards are showing outdated AQI readings that do not match current levels, creating confusion and fuelling concerns over monitoring lapses.