Delhi’s Pollution Crisis: Slight Dip in Levels as Haze Persists, Health Concerns Mount
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 4th Nov. Delhi is currently facing a severe pollution crisis, with pollution levels slightly decreasing overnight due to better wind speed. However, the concentration of harmful PM2.5 particles remains over 80 times the healthy limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The city has been covered in a thick toxic haze for the past five days, leading to concerns among doctors about the impact on respiratory and eye health, especially for children and the elderly.
The concentration of PM2.5 particles, which can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and cause health issues, exceeded the government’s safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic meter by seven to eight times in multiple locations across Delhi-NCR.
It was also 80 to 100 times higher than the WHO’s healthy limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. The decline in air quality in Delhi-NCR is attributed to a drop in temperatures, calm winds that trap pollution, and an increase in burning of paddy straw after the harvest in Punjab and Haryana.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board shows a significant increase in Delhi’s air quality index between October 27 and November 3, reaching the severe plus category on Friday. However, there was a slight improvement in the 24-hour average air quality index from 468 on Friday to 415 on Saturday.
The air quality in neighboring cities like Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida, and Faridabad also reported hazardous levels of pollution. Delhi consistently ranks among the worst capital cities in terms of air quality worldwide.
A report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago revealed that air pollution in Delhi is reducing life expectancy by almost 12 years.
The hazardous pollution levels have forced many people to avoid outdoor activities such as morning walks and sports. Parents are particularly concerned as children breathe faster and inhale more pollutants.
Unfavorable weather conditions, combined with vehicle emissions, burning of paddy straw, firecrackers, and other local sources of pollution, contribute to the hazardous air quality in Delhi-NCR during the winter season.
According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the peak pollution period in the capital is from November 1 to November 15, coinciding with an increase in stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana.
Stubble burning accounted for 24.5% of the PM2.5 pollution in Delhi on Saturday, a decrease from 35% on Friday.
Officials from the Commission for Air Quality Management, a government panel responsible for combating pollution in Delhi-NCR, expect pollution levels to further decrease due to better weather conditions and restrictions on certain polluting activities, including non-essential construction work.
The implementation of stricter measures under the Graded Response Action Plan has been deferred due to a declining trend in the air quality index.
In summary, Delhi is currently facing a severe pollution crisis with high levels of PM2.5 particles.
The toxic haze has persisted for several days, causing health concerns among doctors. The pollution is mainly attributed to unfavorable weather conditions and local sources such as vehicle emissions and burning of paddy straw.
Efforts are being made to improve the situation, but the pollution levels remain hazardous.
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