Air quality in Delhi likely to decline this Diwali: SAFAR

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB’s) air high quality index (AQI) indicated “very poor” air high quality on Mandir Marg, “extreme” at Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh and RK Puram.

According to the health advisory issued by SAFAR, “Everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors; people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low….” from the night of November 11 to the afternoon of November 12.

A question is raised at the Indian authorities measure of pollution levels because the guidelines values for PM2.5 levels as set by World Health Organization is 10 units.

In the NCR region, levels of PM 2.5 in Faridabad, the city on the outskirts of Delhi, were recorded at 376 µg/m3.

All air pollution monitoring businesses-CPCB, DPCC and SAFAR will launch their evaluation and common noise and air air pollution levels of this Diwali by Thursday night.

“There is enough moisture in the air and atmospheric holding capacity is quite high for particles emitting from firecrackers”, said Gufran Beig of the government-run agency System of Air Quality, Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). PM 2.5 levels are expected to shoot up from last year’s 250 to 450 micrograms per cubic metre this year. Just earlier than they went off, the levels have been extraordinarily excessive with PM 2.5 at greater than 600 micrograms per cubic metres.

PM is found to be affecting people more than any other pollutant. The finer PM 2.5 particles can penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract, causing graver health issues. Among PM, particles of size less than 2.5 micron are most deadly. This Diwali is going to be colder as compared to previous year. Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made similar appeals. Youngsters mostly took to social networking sites to wish a “Happy Diwali” to friends and a few of them even used the platform advising their friends to follow safety norms while bursting crackers. “We were very keen on encouraging our students to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly manner this year”. The top brass of Delhi Police took stock of the security arrangements in various parts of the city and instructed officials wherever and whenever necessary.

A World Health Organization (WHO) survey in 2014 found that 13 of the most polluted 20 cities in the world were in India.