Breathing may become slightly uncomfortable, especially for those with respiratory issues," the AQI India website said of the poor air quality in Panaji on Tuesday. During the night hours in Goa over the last one month, the AQI did drop to 95 or lower, which is still considered moderate, rarely recording 'good' levels.

According to GSPCB's own data, AQI in Panaji records on Oct 11 and Nov 11 show an increase in pollution levels in the area, with both PM10 and PM2.5 levels having gone up. These are tiny particles in the air that we can't see, but they can hurt our lungs. On Oct 11, the PM10 level was 97 and PM2.5 was 63. By Nov 11, these numbers went up to 104 for PM10 and 71 for PM2.5. These are above safe levels.

NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) come from cars and factories. They went up from 32.3 to 38.4 in just a month. These gases make air dirty and can cause breathing problems.

"In all these years, we have never seen so much dust in Panaji. The smart city project, which includes extensive digging of sewage chambers and repeated roadwork, could be a contributor to dust and air pollution surge," said environmental activist and Panaji resident Avertino Miranda.

"Besides, there is a rise in carbon monoxide emissions from the density of vehicles in the city which includes the locals entering the city as well as tourists exploring Panaji. There is no control over commercial vehicles coming to Panaji either. We are not regulating or imposing restrictions on the vehicular population in the city, which will lead to the collapse of the carrying capacity of Panaji," he added.