New Delhi: The air quality in Delhi reached the severe category on Wednesday morning after slight improvement a day earlier. The situation in Mumbai has also worsened after Delhi became one of the most polluted cities in the world last week. Delhi and its surrounding cities have been blanketed with toxic smoke and authorities have closed schools and banned trucks and construction activities.
Where and how much AQI in Delhi?
The overall air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 418 this morning, with the most affected areas being Punjabi Bagh (460), Narela (448), Bawana (462), Anand Vihar (452), and Rohini (451). AQI 165 was recorded this morning in Mumbai, which was among the most polluted cities in the world on Sunday. The situation is not better in Noida, Gurugram and other nearby cities.
This morning the average AQI of Noida was 409, Gurugram 370, Faridabad (396) and Ghaziabad (382). Authorities have implemented Phase-4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a set of anti-pollution guidelines, to arrest the deterioration in air quality. Under this, diesel trucks are not being allowed to enter the city. Many factors including vehicle emissions and stubble burning are being held responsible for air pollution in Delhi.
The air quality of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh also deteriorated.
Harmful air quality was also recorded in many cities of neighboring Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. A bulletin said, “In Delhi, there is a possibility of wind coming from north-west direction at a speed of 4-12 km per hour in the morning on November 8 and partly cloudy sky and fog till afternoon/evening… “Due to winds coming from different directions, very light rain is expected at one or two places in Delhi on the night of November 9.”
Despite a slight decline in pollution levels, the concentration of PM2.5 (fine particles that can enter the respiratory system when inhaled and cause respiratory problems) remains seven to eight times the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre. remained more. This is 30 to 40 times more than the healthy limit (15 micrograms per cubic meter) set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Odd-even implemented in Delhi to reduce pollution
The Delhi government on Monday announced the implementation of the odd-even car scheme after four years due to fears of further worsening of air quality after Diwali. Under this scheme, cars with even or odd registration numbers are allowed to run on alternate days (except one day). The University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute and Evidence for Policy Design analyzed the impact of the odd-even policy in 2016.
It was found that when this policy was implemented in Delhi in January that year, there was a 14-16 percent reduction in PM2.5 levels. However, when this policy was implemented again in April of the same year, no reduction in pollution was seen. Giving priority to the health of school children, the government has decided to close classes in all schools till November 10 and allow only online classes.
Breathing polluted air is equivalent to smoking about 10 cigarettes a day.
This will not apply only to students of classes 10th and 12th preparing for board exams. Rajesh Chawla, senior doctor at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said that breathing Delhi’s polluted air is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking about 10 cigarettes a day. . The doctor said that prolonged exposure to high levels of pollution can cause asthma, swelling in the tubes leading to the lungs, breathing problems and can also increase the risk of heart disease.
All the strict restrictions required under the final phase of the Central Government’s ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ (GRAP) to deal with air pollution in Delhi have also been implemented.
Source: dainikbhaskarup.com
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