Delhi air pollution highlights: A thick blanket of smog covered the National Capital Region as the air quality dipped further on Monday with the pollution level being marked as ‘hazardous’. The coming week is considered crucial as Diwali festivities and an untoward weather situation could further choke the capital, experts said. Air quality in Mandir Marg, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was in ‘hazardous’ category.
Air pollution levels in Delhi and nearby areas have increased in the last few days. According to reports, the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana have caused a sudden rise in the air pollution level. The government has banned all construction work in Delhi-NCR and vehicles older than 10 years from plying on the roads. On Sunday, the teams deployed to monitor the implementation measures to fight pollution collected nearly Rs 83 lakh from the violators. An action plan by the central and state governments to deal with air pollution in the national capital coming into effect on November 1.
Also Read: Delhi air quality to turn ‘severe’ between November 4-9, IMD explains why
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Delhi air pollution LIVE Updates: Air quality plunges to hazardous category
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Air quality on national capital dipped today to fall in the severe category for the second time in a week because of change in wind direction and rampant stubble burning in neighbouring states, authorities have said. The overall air quality index on Monday was registered at 418, a huge decline from a day before when the AQI was at 171. A thick haze engulfed the national capital two days ahead of Diwali.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has also directed the Transport Department and the Traffic Police to intensify checking of polluting vehicles and control travel congestion in the region during November 1-10. An aggressive 10-day-long 'Clean Air Campaign' from November 1-10 has also been launched to monitor and report polluting activities as well as to ensure quick action.
Union minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday that the Centre was making all possible efforts to maintain air quality and no leniency would be shown towards those who violated the norms.
Union minister Harsh Vardhan said that the government has made all the maximum efforts to combat air pollution. Meanwhile, level of pollution in Delhi's air today plunged to hazardous level. Since early morning,a a thick level of smog has engulfed Delhi and nearby cities. The IMD had last week said that pollution in Delhi-NCR will worsen between November 4 and 10 due to unfavourable weather condition.
Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Amarinder Singh has slammed his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that stubble burning in Punjab was the primary reason behind high pollution levels in Delhi. Singh termed Kejriwal's argument as “nonsense” and wondered whether the AAP supremo “really” is an IIT graduate. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
A Delhi-based start-up has designed a 40-feet-tall air purifier. According to the claim made by Kurin Systems that designed the purifier, it can purify air to 75,000 people living in the three-kilometre radius around it. Kurin Systems has recently got the patent for the “world’s largest as well as the strongest air purifier” published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, its co-founder Pavneet Singh Puri said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
According to the World Health Organization, India is home to six of the top 10 polluted cities in the world with Delhi sitting on the top of the list. As many as 1.2 million people die every year in India due to air pollution, a Greenpeace report published last year showed.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused Punjab government for failing to control stubble burning of the harvested paddy crop. Last week, Kejriwal alleged that the pollution level had deteriorated in Delhi after October 25. "We have seen abnormal increase in pollution level after October 25. This is nothing else but due to stubble burning in Punjab," Kejriwal had told reporters.
Authorities said that the national capital's pollution level sharply spiked on Monday as a thick haze engulfed the city ahead of Diwali. An official working with System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said despite moderate wind speed, the pollution in Delhi rose due to stubble burning from the neighbouring states. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
On November 1, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan had convened a meeting of Environment Ministers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to discuss the prevailing situation. However, Ministerd from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan skipped the crucial meet. Only Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain attended the meeting.
The prominent pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 in 'Severe' category in the Delhi University area. A thick layer of smog has engulfed the national capital since morning today. The air pollution level is expected to rise further on Diwali and coming days. The IMD has said that stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana are contributing 20-30% to the pollution.
According to green rating system GRIHA, India has less than 2% green buildings. GRIHA CEO Sanjay Seth said that green buildings can help in reducing exposure of people to outside pollutants. The agency said that it feels there is a huge opportunity to increase that number of green buildings in the country as about 60% of the infrastructure of the country is yet to be put in place in the next 20 years. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
An Air Quality Index (AQI) between 0 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'. On Sunday, the air pollution level has improved to 'poor' category from 'very poor' and 'severe' categories.
With the AQI level at 349, Delhi's Anand Vihar is at Very Poor category as on 10 am . Dense amog covered the national capital in the morning, two days ahead of Diwali. Authorities have alredy taken a number of steps to reduce the pollution level in Delhi and adjoining areas.
The government has ordered suspension of civil construction in Delhi-NCR to combat rising air pollution level. All stone crushers and hot mix plants generating dust pollution have also been asked to shut. Besides, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has directed the Transport Department to intensify checking of polluting vehicles and impose heavy penalty.
The Noida administration has ordered schools to shut in view of the rising level of pollution. The speed of wind at 11 kmph has improved the air quality to moderate but it continues remain a cause of concern for the authorities as level of pollution is expected to increase on Diwali.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a penalty of over Rs 83 lakh was imposed on violators on Sunday who were found violating the Clean Air Campaign. Several teams of the CPCB have been deployed in Delhi-NCR to monitor implementation of measures to combat pollution under the campaign. The 10 days ‘Clean Air Campaign’ began on November 1. It has been launched by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan to monitor and report polluting activities as well as to ensure quick action. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a penalty of over Rs 83 lakh was imposed on violators on Sunday who were found violating the Clean Air Campaign. Several teams of the CPCB have been deployed in Delhi-NCR to monitor implementation of measures to combat pollution under the campaign. The 10 days ‘Clean Air Campaign’ began on November 1. It has been launched by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan to monitor and report polluting activities as well as to ensure quick action. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Fire breaks out a dumping ground in Jangpura area of Delhi. According to police, fire engines have been rushed to the site and an operation is underway to bring the flames down.
Last week, the IMD had predicted that air quality in Delhi will deteriorate further due to unfavourable weather conditions, pollutions during Diwali and crop-residue burning in Punjab and Haryana. It had said that Delhi's air quality will become ‘severe’ between November 4 and 9. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
In Lodhi Road area of the national capital, prominent pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 in 'Poor' categor. Two days ahead of the Diwali, air quality has plunged to hazardous category in Delhi. In neaby cities of Noida and Ghaziabad, the situation is no different.
A thick layer of smog has covered the Rajpath in the heart of the national capital. The visibility has also dropped. Besides, the numbers of people visiting the Rajpath daily morning for exercise have also come down.