Choking on Complacency: Why Guwahati’s Air Quality Data Fails Its Residents

By Sujata Dubey

Guwahati is choking. The city’s air, increasingly laden with dust, smoke, and industrial emissions, has sparked fresh concern among residents and experts alike.

Yet, official figures continue to paint a misleadingly moderate picture. On 3rd December, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 109—a “moderate” rating.

But this number is based on data from only three of the city’s four Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) stations, excluding crucial readings from other locations.

Independent monitoring platforms tell a grimmer story. AQI. in recorded Guwahati’s AQI spiking to 178 on 3rd December categorizing it as “poor,” while December’s average AQI stands at 167, considered “unhealthy.” Global tracker IQAir placed the city’s air quality at 133, a level “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” PM2.5 levels, in particular, remain dangerously high—nearly ten times the World Health Organization’s annual guideline in the evenings.

Experts argue that Guwahati urgently needs more monitoring stations, particularly near construction zones and high-traffic areas, which the current system fails to cover.

IIT Guwahati professor Sharad Gokhale rightly points out that traffic chokepoints such as the Jalukbari junction require dedicated air quality stations. The existing IIT station largely monitors rural and industrial surroundings, missing critical urban hotspots.

Satellite-based studies by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) confirm the scale of the crisis: 11 districts in Assam ranked among India’s 50 most polluted districts in 2024, and all 34 districts assessed exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Guwahati’s residents deserve better. Reliance on limited data undermines both public awareness and policy response.

Expanding the monitoring network, enforcing stricter construction and traffic controls, and making pollution data transparent and real-time are urgent steps. Otherwise, the city risks normalizing hazardous air, silently compromising the health of its citizens.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Urges Parliamentary Debate on Air Pollution With Action Plan