KALYAN: A thick layer of smoke engulfed several parts of Kalyan West on Wednesday morning, leading to a sudden spike in air pollution and creating concern among residents.According to preliminary information, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the area briefly surged to a hazardous level of 347, making the air quality extremely poor for a few hours. Residents in several parts of Kalyan West reported difficulty in breathing as the atmosphere appeared hazy and filled with smoke since early morning.Civic officials said the smoke was likely caused by a fire that broke out early Tuesday morning in the Bapgaon area in Bhiwandi beyond the Gandhari bridge. Due to the direction of the wind, large volumes of smoke drifted towards the Kalyan West region.Several localities including Gandhari, Ring Road, Godrej Hill, Khadakpada, Adharwadi and Lal Chowki witnessed dense smoke in the air during the morning hours, prompting concern among residents over the sudden rise in pollution levels.Officials from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) clarified that the spike in pollution was temporary. According to the civic body, the AQI levels increased for a short period due to the smoke generated by the fire but gradually returned to normal levels.Rohini Lokare, Executive Engineer of KDMC’s Environment Department, said the city’s air quality is otherwise being closely monitored and controlled.“Due to the smoke from the fire in Bapgaon, the AQI level rose for a few hours. Otherwise, we have kept Kalyan’s AQI levels under control by taking precautionary measures at several construction sites and ongoing development projects,” she said.Officials added that by the afternoon the AQI level had dropped to below 100, bringing relief to residents. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and have advised citizens not to panic as the pollution spike was caused by a temporary incident.
