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Amidst the great festival of folk faith, Chhath, a big and important news is coming out regarding the weather and climate of Jharkhand. The air quality has reached extremely dangerous levels in the state’s major industrial cities Dhanbad and Jamshedpur, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) has been recorded above 300. On the other hand, dense fog is being seen in the morning and late evening in about 10 districts of the state including the capital Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Palamu. The Meteorological Department has issued a special update for the devotees offering Arghya during Chhath festival and advised them to remain alert in the morning. With the onset of cold, the pollution graph in the state has increased rapidly. Toxic air due to industrial activities, vehicle smoke and seasonal changes has posed a threat to people’s breathing. On the occasion of Chhath festival, the fasts and devotees who gather early in the morning on the ghats of rivers and ponds will now have to face the falling AQI along with the cold. Air becomes poisonous in Dhanbad and Jamshedpur, AQI figure reaches red zone. The situation of air pollution in the two most important industrial and commercial cities of Jharkhand – Dhanbad and Jamshedpur remains very worrying. According to the data of Environmental Protection Board, AQI in both the cities has been recorded between 300 to 350, which falls in the ‘Very Poor’ category for health. The amount of dust particles (PM 2.5 and PM 10) in the air has been found to be many times more than normal in the Koylanchal area of Dhanbad and the industrial belt of Jamshedpur. Health experts say that when AQI is above 300, the elderly, children and patients suffering from respiratory diseases should avoid going out. People visiting Chhath Ghats early in the morning have been instructed to use masks and avoid direct contact with cold mist. Dense fog alert, visibility reduced in 10 districts including Ranchi and Hazaribagh. According to Meteorological Center Ranchi (IMD Ranchi), the effect of fog is most visible in the central and northern parts of the state. Visibility is falling to 50 to 100 meters in the morning in Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Palamu, Garhwa, Chatra, Koderma, Latehar, Lohardaga and Gumla districts. Due to fog and mist, vehicles are seen crawling on the highway in the morning. Meteorologists say that due to the effect of westerly winds and a drop of 2 to 3 degrees in the minimum temperature, moisture is freezing in the air, due to which the fog is becoming dense. A similar foggy environment is expected to persist in the morning for the next two-three days. How will the weather be at Chhath Ghats? Accurate forecast of morning and evening Arghya: There is a lot of curiosity among the devotees about how the weather will be during the evening Arghya and morning Arghya of Chhath Mahaparva. According to the Meteorological Department, the weather will remain dry and clear across the state in the evening, but as the sun sets, the cold will increase. Key points for devotees offering morning Arghya: Morning temperature: The morning minimum temperature in most of the districts of the state is expected to be between 12 to 15 degrees Celsius, due to which considerable cold will be felt on the ghats. Fog and Visibility: There will be dense fog around the ghats between 5 am to 7 am. However, the fog will gradually start clearing with sunrise. Wind speed: The wind speed will be 5 to 8 kilometers per hour, due to which the devotees offering Arghya while standing in water will feel more cold. Health Department issued advisory, take special care of the elderly and children. In view of the double outbreak of pollution and sudden increase in cold, the Health Department has also issued guidelines for the people. Doctors believe that when AQI is more than 300 in the morning and there is fog, then a situation of ‘smog’ is created. Smog proves to be extremely harmful for the lungs and eyes. Devotees visiting the ghats during Chhath Puja have been advised to wear warm clothes, drink lukewarm water and sensitive people have been advised to wear handkerchief or mask on their face. Apart from this, the district administrations have also given instructions to make arrangements for security, lights and campfire at Chhath Ghats so that the devotees can get relief from the cold.