Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Three towns in Odisha still have poor air quality, and Balasore’s air quality index is lower than New Delhi’s. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released the AQI at 4:00 pm on Tuesday. Balasore’s average AQI was 406 (severe), while New Delhi’s was 371 (very poor).
Comparably, the AQI in Angul was 314 (extremely poor) and in Baripada, Odisha, it was 355 (extremely poor). The twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar had respective air quality ratings of 252 (poor) and 274 (poor). Talcher’s AQI was also 244 (poor).
The causes of the poor air quality in these towns of Odisha have been ascribed to heavy fog, industrial and mining activity, and pollutants from heavy road traffic. The AQI declines when there is dense fog because it keeps pollutants from escaping the stratosphere.
