Delhi Choke Alert! Turns Out, We Did Start the Fire
Delhi reels under apocalypse-like situation, courtesy heavy grey smog.
- High level of pollutants have kept the air quality in the ‘severe’ category, even three days after Diwali.
- The National Green Tribunal has directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to hold an urgent meeting on Thursday with all concerned authorities on the deteriorating air quality.
- Heritage School (Gurgaon) and Shri Ram School (both Delhi and Gurgaon) have cancelled classes for Friday.
- Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave has stated that an advisory to tackle air pollution will be issued soon for all the states.
As Delhi continues to remain under a thick blanket of smog even three days after Diwali, the city chokes on toxic air. While the level of air pollutants - PM 2.5 and PM 10 - continue to plague our lungs, paying heed to advisories being issued is a must.
‘Collective Efforts’
Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave on Thursday stressed on “collective efforts” to make the hazardous air pollution situation better.
After discussions with the concerned ministers, Dave said that a “roadmap will also be put forth.”
“Will issue advisory to states on short, medium and long- term measures to tackle air pollution after consultations,” he said.
CP, Khan Market Will Soon Be No-Vehicle Zones
Expressing concern over air pollution and traffic congestion in the city, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday asked the NDMC to convert Connaught Place and Khan Market into no-vehicle zones.
The move is a part of the Smart City initiative with new traffic management and last mile connectivity plans to be introduced soon.
Naidu also stressed on introducing non-motorised vehicles and provision of quality pedestrian pathways.
Save Your Lungs!
Over the Diwali weekend of 2016, India’s air quality was among the world’s worst and between 40% and 100% worse in five north Indian cities than at the same time the preceding year, according to global air pollution data and anIndiaSpend analysis of national data and#Breathe network of sensors.
On 30 and 31 October 2016, from 9 pm to the wee hours of the next morning, North India – especially parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar – recorded PM 2.5 levels of over 500 µg/m³ – exhibiting “beyond scale” pollution values, according to the database run by Berkeley Earth, an independent US research organisation.
Read the full report here: Wanna Save Your Lungs? Stay Home. Delhi Inhaling World’s Worst Air
Heritage and Shri Ram Schools Cancel Classes
All classes of Shri Ram Schools in Delhi and Gurgaon, except Class X and Class XII, have been cancelled for Friday and Monday in view of excessive air pollution.
The Heritage School, Gurgaon, followed suit and has decided to cancel classes on Friday.
NGT Cracks the Whip
The National Green Tribunal has now directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to hold an urgent meeting on Thursday with all concerned authorities on the deteriorating air quality.
Government Action Soon?
In a panicky scramble, the government is discussing ways to curb air pollution. Meetings have been called, press conferences held and notices released.
From the look of things, one would think the sudden extreme air pollution in Delhi came out of the blue. But it definitely didn’t. So why did it take so long for the government to get into gear?
Read the full report here: As Delhi Chokes, Govt Decides to Crack Down on Pollution... Soon
Andar Bhi?
Staying indoors helps? Not really. There is not mountain-fresh quality air inside either since it’s not advisable to open your windows. World Health Organisation statistics point out that indoor air is the second-biggest killer in India after blood pressure. Around 1.3 million people died of indoor air pollution in 2010.
Pay attention NOW! Air purifier too heavy on your pockets? Then you only need three plants inside your homes or office space that help purify the air around – snake plant, areca palm and money plant.
Bring Those Air Masks Out
Respiratory irritation and breathing difficulties after being exposed to the hazardous air are only a few short-term symptoms. In the longer run, it can lead to accelerated ageing of the lungs, development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer.
With many health advisories being issued, a few basic pointers should not be ignored – like reducing prolonged and heavy exertion activities – especially when outdoors. It is best to avoid going out for your morning run/walks, especially early in the morning.
After all those almost-painful value education lessons in school, time to pay heed to that one particular chapter on environment, people! Be a good samaritan and do your part to help reduce the choking pollutants.
- Opt for carpooling or take public transit.
- Make use of energy-efficient appliances.
- Switch off the non-essential lights and unplug the appliance when not in use. Make mummy-daddy proud.
- Drive slowly as less fuel will be consumed, and when purchasing a new vehicle, you might want to check how fuel-efficient it is.
Tale of a Choked City
The levels of pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 have spiked in the past few days, which pose as a major health hazard apart from reducing air visibility. The standard limit for both PM 2.5 and PM 10 is at 50 micrograms per cubic meter.
In Connaught Place, the level of PM 2.5 is 898 micrograms per cubic meter while PM 10 is at 828. Saket recorded a shocking level of 873 micrograms (PM 2.5) and 835 micrograms (PM 10).
Apocalypse Now!
For the past couple of days, Delhiites have been waking up to an apocalyptic-like situation with thick grey smog hanging all over the city. High level of pollutants have kept the air quality in the 'severe' category, even three days after Diwali.
When the pollution from the firecracker emissions was to dissipate, the wind direction changed to north-westerly on 1 November.
According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the north-westerly wind blowing from the areas of Punjab and Haryana – where stubble burning is in full swing – are to be largely blamed for the extremely high level of pollutants in the air.
The air quality index, according to SAFAR, is at 448 on 3 November.
(With inputs from ANI, IANS, PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)