‘Hazardous’ air engulfs India’s capital Delhi, officials ban construction, entry of diesel vehicles
Delhi air pollution
A thick 'apocalyptic haze' engulfed India’s capital Delhi for the third consecutive day on Thursday (Nov 2), with air quality deteriorating to ‘hazardous’ level and residents gasping for fresh air.
Delhi’s Anand Vihar region registered the highest level of air pollution, with the air quality index (AQI) reaching 999. On average, Delhi’s air quality was above 500, according to weather agency aqicn.org.
AQI between 0-50 is considered healthy, while a value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.
India uses AQI as a yardstick to determine how bad the pollution is across the city. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.
Scientists raise alarm
Scientists have warned that the pollution levels in Delhi and nearby regions would continue to spike for the next two weeks.
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Health experts have also raised alarm saying that the rise in air pollution might accentuate respiratory and asthma problems, especially among the children and elderly.
"We are recording a surge in the number of irritative bronchitis infections. It is recommended that people suffering from respiratory issues such as chronic bronchitis and asthma take their medicines regularly and do not go out in the open unless absolutely necessary," Jugal Kishore, the head of the medicine department at Safdarjung Hospital, told PTI news agency.
Govt panel bans non-essential construction
Meanwhile, a central pollution panel on Thursday banned non-essential construction activity and the entry of diesel trucks into the capital city.
The measures were adopted as part of the Stage III Graded Action Response Plan, which was framed to tackle the annual surge in pollution in the capital and the surrounding areas.
During a meeting, the committee noted that the pollution was expected to deteriorate further because of the "highly unfavourable meteorological and climatic conditions".
Much of north India often experiences bad air quality during the winter months on account of farmers burning paddy straws and due to the cold temperatures allowing for the trapping of pollutants near the ground, which is also known as temperature inversions.
Unfavourable weather conditions at play
According to an analysis conducted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), the capital experiencespeak pollution from November 1 to November 15 when the number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana increase.
Also, unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with emissions from firecrackers, paddy straw burning, and local pollution sources, contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during winter.
(With inputs from agencies)