New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality was recorded in the ‘poor’ category for the fifth consecutive day on Friday and is likely to deteriorate in the coming days due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to monitoring agencies. The city’s average air quality index (AQI) stood at 256 at 9 am. Several areas recorded their AQI in the ‘very poor’ category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI was 256 at 4 pm on Thursday, 243 on Wednesday and 220 on Tuesday. According to the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the city’s air quality is likely to deteriorate to ‘very poor’ category on Saturday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
The Delhi government launched a campaign to curb vehicular pollution on Thursday, a year after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena put it on hold, questioning its effectiveness.
A 2019 study conducted by the Central Road Research Institute showed that keeping engines running at traffic signals can increase pollution levels by more than 9 per cent.
A range of emission inventory and source apportionment studies carried out for Delhi in the past few years suggested that on-road vehicular exhaust emissions account for 9 per cent to 38 per cent of PM2.5 emissions in the capital.
Delhi’s air quality had turned ‘very poor’ on Sunday for the first time since May, mainly due to a drop in temperature and wind speed, which allowed pollutants to accumulate.
Also Read: Delhi’s Air Quality Plunges To ‘Poor’ Category; Air Quality Index At 256
Unfavourable meteorological conditions and a cocktail of emissions from firecrackers and paddy straw burning, in addition to local sources of pollution, push Delhi-NCR’s air quality to hazardous levels around Diwali every year.
According to an analysis conducted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the capital experiences peak pollution from November 1 to November 15, when stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana peak.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the government has identified eight more pollution hotspots in addition to the existing 13 in the national capital and special teams will be deployed there to check pollution sources.
He said the government has also decided to use suppressant powder to prevent dust pollution in the city.
Dust suppressants could include chemical agents like calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, lignosulfonates and various polymers. These chemicals work by attracting and binding fine dust particles together, making them too heavy to become airborne.
The Commission for Air Quality Management, a statutory body responsible for proactively implementing the pollution control plan known as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), had on Saturday directed authorities in the NCR to increase parking fees to discourage private transport and enhance the services of CNG or electric buses and metro trains amid a likely increase in pollution levels.
This action is part of Stage II of GRAP which is implemented when Delhi’s AQI is predicted to turn ‘very poor’.
GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV ‘severe plus’ (AQI >450).
The Delhi government had last month launched a 15-point action plan to mitigate air pollution in the capital during the winter season, with a strong emphasis on addressing dust pollution, vehicular emissions and open burning of garbage.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
