Delhi NCR Air Pollution: It is becoming difficult for people to breathe in Delhi-NCR. Delhi government has ordered all private and government private schools to remain closed for the next two days.
Delhi NCR Air Pollution: The air in Delhi NCR is going from bad to worse in the last few days. People are finding it difficult to breathe amidst heavy pollution. In view of the increasing pollution, the Delhi government has ordered all government and private primary schools in Delhi to remain closed for the next two days. To keep the situation under control, GRAP 3 has been implemented. Under which there will be a complete ban on all types of construction and demolition in Delhi NCR except emergency services, government construction works and construction works of strategic importance. Along with this, BS3 petrol and BS4 diesel 4 wheelers will be banned in Delhi NCR.
Air becomes poisonous in Delhi-NCR
Due to incidents of stubble burning and adverse weather conditions, there was fog in Delhi on Thursday, due to which the sky became hazy and the sun was hidden. At the same time, doctors issued a warning of increasing respiratory problems. Scientists have issued a warning of increasing pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) during the next two weeks. This is worrying because the air quality index is already more than 400 in many areas.
In light of the rising pollution levels, all govt and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next 2 days
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 2, 2023
These places are in bad condition
An official of the India Meteorological Department said that around 8 am the visibility at the Safdarjung Observatory dropped to only 500 metres, increasing to 800 meters as the temperature continued to rise during the day. The air quality index (AQI) of the city reached 378 at 3 pm. The 24-hour average AQI was 364 on Wednesday, 359 on Tuesday, 347 on Monday, 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday and 261 on Friday. Punjabi Bagh (439), Dwarka Sector-8 (420), Jahangirpuri (403), Rohini (422), Narela (422), Wazirpur (406), Bawana (432), Mundka (439), Anand Vihar (452) and The air quality level reached ‘severe’ category in many areas of the city including New Moti Bagh (406).
AQI between zero and 50 is ‘good’, 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 is ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 is ‘poor’, 301 to 400 is ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 is ‘poor’. Is considered ‘serious’. The concentration of PM2.5 (fine particles that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system when inhaled and cause respiratory problems) at these places was six to seven times more than the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
Children and elderly are in danger
Health sector experts say that this can increase asthma and lung related problems in children and the elderly. Jugal Kishore, head of the department of medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, said it is advised that people suffering from respiratory problems like chronic bronchitis and asthma take their medicines regularly and do not go out in the open unless absolutely necessary.
He advised people to use air purifiers in their homes. One of the main reasons behind the accumulation of pollutants in recent times is the absence of rain after monsoon. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had said on Wednesday that the government will ban construction work in areas where AQI was recorded more than 400 points for five consecutive days.
The government gave these instructions
The government has launched the ‘Red Light on Gaadi Off’ campaign to curb vehicular pollution and plans to hire 1,000 private CNG buses to strengthen public transport and reduce vehicular pollution. According to an analysis by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), pollution peaks in the capital from November 1 to November 15, as cases of stubble burning increase in Punjab and Haryana during this time.
Preparation to control stubble burning
The Punjab government aims to reduce the cases of stubble burning by 50 percent this winter and completely eliminate the cases in six districts, including Hoshiarpur, Malerkotla, Pathankot, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar (Mohali) and SBS Nagar. Are included. Haryana estimates that paddy is cultivated on about 14.82 lakh hectares of land in the state. It is expected to generate more than 73 lakh tonnes of paddy straw. The state is trying to completely stop the cases of stubble burning this year. According to a numerical model-based methodology developed by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, vehicle emissions (11 per cent to 15 per cent) and stubble burning (seven per cent to 15 per cent) are currently the biggest contributors to the city’s poor air quality.
