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Delhi environment minister urges Union counterpart to become 'active' as north India grapples with polluted air

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called upon his Union counterpart Bhupender Yadav on Friday to become "active" in addressing the air pollution problem, emphasising that it's not just the national capital but the entire North India that is breathing polluted air. At a press conference held here, Rai said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is blaming Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the air pollution problem in Delhi, but he is not responsible for the poor air quality in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Rai appealed to the Union Environment Minister to become "active", saying, "It doesn't seem like there's a Union Environment Ministry in Delhi." Citing a study by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment, he said 69 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from neighbouring states.

Delhi AQI: Peak farm fire season begins, brace for more trouble

The peak stubble burning season has begun, with farm fires in north-west India showing a rise. Usually, the intense burning takes place in the first fortnight of November. An analysis of last year's satellite data shows the number of daily paddy residue burning events stood between 2,500 and 3,500 from November 2 to 12. The peak per day counts recorded in 2022 were 3,916 on November 11 and 3,634 on November 2 in Punjab, according to Indian Agricultural Research Institute data. Track the pollution level in your city From September 15 till November 1 this year, satellites detected 9,594 paddy residue burning events in Punjab, 1,296 in Haryana, 1,029 in UP and two in Delhi. In the corresponding period last year, the figures stood at 17,846 in Punjab, 2,083 in Haryana, 777 in UP and six in Delhi. Though farm fires are fewer this year, experts said the intense burning season has now begun. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, "As we are now fast approaching the sowing time of the next crop, there will be a rush to burn residues if alternatives are not available to farmers. Rapid outreach and concentrated efforts are required to prevent this as far as possible. Ultimately, a solution is possible only by enabling farmer access to technology and the market for biomass." On Wednesday, the daily stubble burning counts were 1,921, 99 and 95 in Punjab, Haryana and UP, respectively. The figures for Thursday were unavailable. In this season so far, Amritsar, Sangrur, Tarn Taran and Firozpur in Punjab and Fatehabad, Kaithal and Jind in Haryana are witnessing a higher number of farm fires. Gufran Beig, chair professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, and founder, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, said, "The data of past years shows that intense burning takes place from November 1 to 15. The burning season gets over by November-end." Chandra Bhushan, CEO, International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iForest), said though some action has been taken, the basic problem has not been solved yet. "The problem and solution to the issue is the combined harvester. It harvests the crop but allows a few inches of paddy to remain in the ground. There is a need to change its design so that everything is cut and no paddy residue is left," said Bhushan. He added, "The stubble of basmati rice is not burnt. Haryana is a basmati belt where the crop is harvested manually and no residue is left. Hence, Haryana witnesses fewer farm fires than Punjab." Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas said Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, a central government PSU, is setting up a second generation (2G) bio-refinery plant at Bathinda at a cost of over Rs 1,400 crore. The bio-refinery is designed for utilisation of paddy straw for production of ethanol for blending with petrol under the Centre's ethanol blending programme. "The production capacity of this plant is 100 kilo litre ethanol/day. For this purpose, 570 MT of paddy straw would be utilised per day (2,00,000 MT annually) when the plant operates at full capacity. Approximately, 1 lakh MT biomass will be procured this season for use as feedstock for the 2G ethanol plant, which is expected to be commissioned by this yearend," CAQM said.

As Delhi's Air Quality Deteriorates, AAP Asks Centre To Be "Active"

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai called upon Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to be "active" in addressing the deteriorating air quality in the national capital region, emphasising that entire North India is battling air pollution. The Delhi Environment Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is blaming Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the air pollution problem in Delhi, but he is not responsible for the poor air quality in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. "Pollution is increasing all around Delhi and surrounding areas, so I request that the Union Environment Minister should be active. BJP has government in UP and Haryana, they should be active," Mr Rai said at a press conference. Citing a study by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment, he said 69 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from neighbouring states. "While we (Delhi) are taking all possible steps to address the problem, no one knows what the environment ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are doing," he said. "The effect of the Delhi government's steps is visible. If we talk about pollution throughout the year, in 2015 there were only 109 days when the air quality was good, this year it has been good for more than 200 days," Mr Rai added. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi at 8 am today stood at 346, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Levels of the most dangerous PM2.5 particles - so tiny they can enter the bloodstream - were almost 35 times the daily maximum permissible by the World Health Organization, according to monitoring firm IQAir. The AAP leader cautioned that the next 15 days are critical for the entire Delhi-NCR and that all state governments should remain vigilant and work together to control air pollution. Mr Rai said the government received feedback that air pollution monitoring teams set up by concerned departments are not working properly on the ground. "Therefore, we have issued directions to all departments involved to prepare mechanisms to monitor the working of these teams," he said.

Living in ‘gas chambers’: What is making Delhi’s air so toxic?

Traffic moves on a road enveloped by fog and smog in New Delhi on 3 November. Authorities on Friday shut primary schools and banned polluting vehicles and construction activity to control the worst haze and smog this season, causing respiratory infections among people and enveloping monuments and high-rise buildings in and around New Delhi. AP It’s that time of the year. Delhi-NCR is becoming breathless, struggling to deal with the deteriorating air quality. The region is battling the season’s worst pollution. On Friday, the capital was the most polluted major city in the world, according to Swiss air monitor IQAir. The pollution in Delhi-NCR has peaked over the last few days, throwing everyday life out of gear. We take a look at how bad the situation is and what’s in the air that makes it so toxic. How bad is the pollution in Delhi and its neighbourhoods? On Friday, Delhi woke up to another bad air day. A thick layer of smog engulfed the city and its surrounding areas. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index stood at 346, which is severe. To put things in perspective, AQI between 51 and 100 is considered moderate. Anything above 200 is poor. The readings for Delhi’s Lodhi Road, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, and IGI Airport (T3) were 438, 491, 486, and 473 respectively. The AQI at Anand Vihar reached the “severe’ category with PM 2.5 and PM 10 at 500, while NO2 was recorded at 76, under the “satisfactory” level and CO at 113 in the “moderate category”, as per CPCB. The AQI was 999 on Thursday. In Wazirpur, the air quality was “hazardous” with 763 AQI. In Gurugram, the air quality was “severe” with AQI in Gwal Pahari touching 440. There is no respite from pollution for the next few weeks. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) in its bulletin said that air quality was likely to be in the “very poor” category until 4 November and also in the subsequent six days. However, the dip to severe was not predicted. Now experts warn that the next 15 days remain critical. What’s making the Delhi air so harmful? Winter is setting in which means farm fires have started in north-west India. They are a major cause of pollution. Studies by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee pointed out that in the last couple of years, winters have become synonymous with hazardous smog, reports NDTV. The pollution peaks from 1 November to 15 November as stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana see a spike. Satellites detected 1,921 farm fire counts in Punjab, 99 in Haryana and 95 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. This year, Punjab saw a 740 per cent increase with 1,068 farm fire incidents after a relatively smoke-free October. Since then stubble burning has continued to rise steadily. The Decision Support System, the forecasting body under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, estimated the share of stubble burning to PM 2.5 levels in Delhi on Wednesday was 18.13 per cent, up from 7.175 per cent on Tuesday. It was predicted to be 22.4 per cent on Thursday and 21 per cent on Friday. The weather department has said that because of the rise in farm fires, no improvement in Delhi’s air quality is expected over the next two days, according to the NDTV report. But stubble burning is not all to be blamed. Pollutants in the air affected visibility in the city. Safdarjung, which is the city’s base station, saw mostly easterly winds on Thursday while Palam witnessed north-westerly winds, reports The Times of India. According to experts pollutants accumulate because of winds coming from opposite directions. The visibility in Safdarjung dropped to 500 metres with shallow fog and it was 1000 metres in Palam on Thursday, the report says. Gufran Beig, founder project director SAFAR, and chair professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, told The Indian Express, “Weather conditions have also become favourable for the accumulation of pollutants. Low visibility is on account of the intrusion of particles.” “From around this time of the year, wind direction changes and becomes north-northwest. The temperature is not that low, but major factors now are transport level wind direction and speed that is bringing pollutants into Delhi — stubble-related emissions travel at half a km to one km above the surface,” he added. Lack of strong winds and no rainfall means there is little chance of respite from pollutants. A wind speed of anywhere between 10 to 12 kmph is needed to help disperse pollutants. But the wind speed on Friday was predicted to be four to 10 kmph and around six to eight on Saturday and Sunday, according to the EWS, the report says. Rainfall during days of pollution can be a blessing. With no rain, Delhi witnessed the worst air quality in October 2023 since 2020, say meteorologists. Emissions from vehicular traffic also added to the pollution. In a study conducted last year, the Centre for Science and Environment in a study concluded that vehicular emissions contributed to nearly 51 per cent of the PM 2.5 levels in the national capital region. Industries and construction activities contributed to 11 and 7 per cent respectively, reports NDTV. What’s Delhi doing to tackle the pollution? A lot right now. All schools have been shut for two days. The Capital is imposing emergency measures including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction. These measures constitute the final stage of the Centre’s air pollution control plan and should ideally be activated at least three days before the AQI surpasses the 450 mark, as chalked out in a policy document prepared by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai chaired a review meeting with all concerned departments at the Delhi secretariat on Friday, on the issue of rising air pollution levels and strict implementation of GRAP-III measures.

Delhi Environment Minister urges Union counterpart to become ‘active’ as north India grapples with polluted air

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called upon his Union counterpart Bhupender Yadav on Friday to become “active” in addressing the air pollution problem, emphasising that it’s not just the national capital but the entire North India that is breathing polluted air. At a press conference held here, Rai said the Bharatiya Janata Party is blaming Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the air pollution problem in Delhi, but he is not responsible for the poor air quality in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Rai appealed to the Union Environment Minister to become “active”, saying, “It doesn’t seem like there’s a Union Environment Ministry in Delhi.” Citing a study by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment, he said 69 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from neighbouring states. “While we are taking all possible steps to address the problem, no one knows what the environment ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are doing,” he said. He cautioned that the next 15 days are critical for Delhi-NCR and all state governments should remain vigilant and work together to control air pollution. Rai said the government received feedback that air pollution monitoring teams set up by concerned departments are not working properly on the ground.

Delhi environment minister urges Union counterpart to become ‘active’ as north India grapples with polluted air

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called upon his Union counterpart Bhupender Yadav on Friday to become “active” in addressing the air pollution problem, emphasising that it’s not just the national capital but the entire North India that is breathing polluted air. At a press conference held here, Rai said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is blaming Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the air pollution problem in Delhi, but he is not responsible for the poor air quality in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Rai appealed to the Union Environment Minister to become “active”, saying, “It doesn’t seem like there’s a Union Environment Ministry in Delhi.” Citing a study by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment, he said 69 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from neighbouring states.

Curbs on BS III petrol, BS IV diesel cars: Desperate Delhi looks to loosen pollution's grip

NEW DELHI: After the air quality turned 'severe' on Thursday at 5pm, the sub-committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management enforced the measures for 'severe' air pollution under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan with immediate effect in Delhi and NCR. Thus, construction and demolition (C&D), stone crushing and mining-associated activities have been prohibited. In Delhi, all primary classes till Class V have been suspended. CAQM asked all states to impose strict restrictions on allowing BS III petrol and BS IV diesel cars running in Delhi and in the districts of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. Delhi Metro will add 20 more trips across its network from Friday to meet the additional public transport demand. It is already running 40 extra train trips on weekdays. Track the pollution level in your city CAQM's order banned all C&D activities, except those related to railways and metro services, airports, inter-state bus terminals, national security, defence-related activities, projects of national importance, among others. While non-polluting and non-dust generating activities can continue, the ban on C&D activities will impact the earnings of the daily-wage labourers involved in the housing sectors. CAQM said it invoked stage III of GRAP to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region. "Unfavourable meteorological conditions, sudden increase in farm fires and north-westerly winds moving pollutants to Delhi are the major causes for the sudden spike in AQI," explained CAQM, adding that it was keeping a close watch on the situation. It directed officials to further intensify public transport services and introduce differential rates to encourage off-peak travel. All schools will hold primary classes online. A Municipal Corporation of Delhi official said directions have been issued to intensify implementation of dust mitigation measures, including sprinkling of water on roads, use of mechanical road sweepers and curbing of open burning of waste. "We will take a call on biomining of legacy waste at the three landfills too," the official said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, "Emergency measures under GRAP stage III are now necessary to prevent further loading of pollution when pollutants are already trapped in the city's air." Sunil Dahiya, analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said, "While Delhi looked at its worst air quality day this season, we know it was a failure of the system to cut down pollution at source in a systematic way. We still see a significant contribution from stubble burning and a major part of pollution still comes from the transport sector within and beyond Delhi. Industries and power stations in Delhi-NCR have also failed to reduce emission load and pollution."

Make MSP legally binding, empower landless farm workers to spread all-round cheer

Imagine if a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had shown that the Indian industry had in 2022 suffered a cumulative loss of Rs 14-lakh crore ($169 billion). All newspapers without exception would have carried bold headlines on the front page, and the TV anchors would have been shrieking 24x7 calling it as clear cut case of policy paralysis. The demand for an economic stimulus package to the industry would have grown by now. Just like what happens when the stock market is down, the Finance and Industry Ministers would be seen reassuring industry captains of adequate support. But nothing like this has happened. Not because there has been any change in the corporate media policy, but because the staggering loss that the OECD depicted was actually not for the industry but for Indian agriculture. Agriculture being a downmarket subject for the Indian media, it is often treated as nothing more than a filler. If there is nothing important happening that day, editors normally try to fill the pages with reports on agriculture. That’s how agriculture, where 70 per cent of the rural households remain dependent on for their livelihoods, is given a short shrift. However, this article is not about how the media treats agriculture but how the massive loss for agriculture that OECD has worked out further worsens the plight of the farming community. For several decades now, agriculture continues to be in a severe distress. My attention was drawn to a report in Down to Earth magazine (Oct 31, 2023) entitled: ‘Indian farmers taxed $169 billion via export bans or restriction in 2022: OECD report’. The report said that Indian farmers are being continuously taxed negatively for the past two decades, right from 2000, to be precise. The author had gone through the long report available on the web, and sieving through numerous charts and figures, brought out the salient features in a form that could be easily understood. Following the Russia-Ukraine war, India had imposed restrictions on export of wheat, wheat atta and subsequently on non-basmati rice. In addition, there were restrictions on pulses, sugar and a hike in onion and basmati minimum export prices. This may be important for stabilising the domestic price as also to ensure food security, but at the same time ‘exacerbate the persistent challenge of low farm incomes’.

Gopal Rai Asks Centre To Intervene As Delhi AQI Dips To ‘Severe Plus’ Category

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday called upon Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav to become more active in addressing the deteriorating air quality in the national capital region. He also mentioned that the entire north India is breathing polluted air. This comes after the air quality in the national capital deteriorated to the ‘severe plus’ category on Friday morning. The AQI rose from 351 at 10 am on Thursday to 475 at 12 noon on Friday, as reported by news agency PTI. The Delhi Environment minister emphasised that the BJP is blaming Rai appealed to the Union Environment Minister to become proactive in addressing the issue, saying, "It doesn't seem like there's a Union Environment Ministry in Delhi." He also cited research from the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment to claim that neighbouring states are responsible for 69 per cent of Delhi's air pollution. "While we (Delhi) are taking all possible steps to address the problem, no one knows what the environment ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are doing,” Ra

दिल्ली ही नहीं देश के इन 10 शहरों में भी सांस फुला रही जहरीली हवा, लिस्ट देख लीजिए

सीएसई विश्लेषण से पता चलता है कि सर्दियों के दौरान वायुमंडलीय परिवर्तन जैसे उलटाव, शांत स्थिति, हवा की दिशा में बदलाव और पूरे उत्तर भारत में परिवेश के तापमान में मौसमी गिरावट प्रदूषण का कारण बनती है।

Delhi Pollution: कितना और बढ़ा प्रदूषण तो रहने लायक नहीं बचेगी दिल्लीं? एक्‍सपर्ट से जानें

How Dangerous is Delhi air Pollution: दिल्‍ली में प्रदूषण स्‍तर लगातार बढ़ रहा है. शहर के अधिकांश हिस्‍सों में एयर क्‍वालिटी सीवियर केटेगरी में पहुंच गई है जबकि कुछ हिस्‍सों में हालात इतने खराब हैं कि लोगों का दम घुट रहा है और सांस लेने में ऑक्‍सीजन के बजाय धुआं अंदर जा रहा है. गुरुवार को आनंद विहार में एक्‍यूआई 999 दर्ज किया गया है. इतने भीषण हालात में कुछ लोग दिल्‍ली को छोड़कर अन्‍य जगहों पर चले गए हैं लेकिन बड़ी आबादी अभी भी राजधानी में रहने को मजबूर है. ऐसे में लोगों के मन में ये सवाल है कि इतने प्रदूषण स्‍तर के बावजूद क्‍या दिल्‍ली अभी भी रहने लायक बची है? या अभी कितना और प्रदूषण बढ़ने पर दिल्‍ली में रहना जानलेवा हो जाएगा और लोगों को इसे छोड़कर जाना पड़ेगा. आइए जानते हैं एक्‍सपर्ट से इसका जवाब… सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की एयर पॉल्‍यूशन यूनिट में एसोसिएट एक्‍सपर्ट विवेक चट्टोपाध्‍याय का कहना है कि दिल्‍ली में प्रदूषण गंभीर हो चुका है. वहीं आनंद विहार जैसी कई जगहों पर तो एयर क्‍वालिटी खतरनाक हो चुकी है और इन जगहों पर इमरजेंसी के हालात हैं. यहां रहना और घरों से बाहर निकलना खतरे से खाली नहीं है. यहां सरकार को लोकल स्‍तर पर हेल्‍थ एडवाइजरी जारी करनी चाहिए.

दिल्ली-एनसीआर पर छाई जहरीली धुंध की मोटी परत, जानें क्यों सांस लेना हो गया है दूभर

दिल्ली-एनसीआर को जहरीली धुंध की मोटी परत ने अपनी आगोश में ले लिया है। इस सीजन में पहली बार हवा की गुणवत्ता गिरकर ‘सीवियर प्लस’ श्रेणी में पहुंच गई है। राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में स्कूल दो दिनों के लिए बंद कर दिए गए हैं और कमर्शियल चार पहिया वाहनों और निर्माण गतिविधियों पर प्रतिबंध सहित सभी आपातकालीन उपाय जल्द ही शुरू किए जा सकते हैं। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) के अनुसार, आज सुबह 8 बजे दिल्ली में वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (एक्यूआई) 346 था। दिल्ली के लोधी रोड, जहांगीरपुरी, आरके पुरम और आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट (टी3) इलाकों में हवा की गुणवत्ता गंभीर बनी हुई है, जहां एक्यूआई रीडिंग क्रमश: 438, 491, 486 और 473 रही। निगरानी फर्म IQAir के अनुसार, शुक्रवार को, सबसे खतरनाक PM2.5 कणों का स्तर लगभग 35 गुना अधिक था। ये कण इतने छोटे हैं कि वे आपके रक्तप्रवाह में प्रवेश कर सकते हैं। हालांकि प्रदूषण के लिए कई कारक जिम्मेदार हैं, जिसमें मुख्य रूप से वाहनों से होने वाला उत्सर्जन, पराली जलाने से निकलने वाला धुआं और कम हवा की गति शामिल हैं। दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति के अध्ययन के अनुसार, पिछले कुछ वर्षों से, दिल्ली की सर्दियां खतरनाक धुंध की मोटी परत का पर्याय होकर रह गई हैं। अब तो जैसे हर साल 1-15 नवंबर तक प्रदूषण चरम पर होता है। इस बार आंकड़ों से पता चलता है कि पंजाब में पराली जलाने में अचानक वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। राज्य में रविवार को 1,068 खेतों में आग लगने की घटनाओं के साथ 740 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि देखी गई। मौसम विभाग ने कहा है कि पराली जलाने की घटनाएं बढ़ने के कारण अगले दो दिनों तक दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता में कोई सुधार होने की उम्मीद नहीं है। पिछले साल, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने एक अध्ययन में निष्कर्ष निकाला था कि राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में पीएम 2.5 के स्तर में वाहनों के उत्सर्जन का लगभग 51 प्रतिशत योगदान है। उद्योगों और निर्माण गतिविधियों का योगदान क्रमशः 11 और 7 प्रतिशत है। मौसम विज्ञानियों ने यह भी कहा है कि बारिश न होने के कारण दिल्ली में 2020 के बाद से इस साल अक्टूबर में सबसे खराब वायु गुणवत्ता दर्ज की गई है। दिल्ली सरकार ने सर्दियों के मौसम के दौरान वायु प्रदूषण को कम करने के लिए पिछले महीने 15-सूत्रीय कार्य योजना शुरू की है। जिसमें धूल प्रदूषण, वाहन उत्सर्जन और खुले में कचरा जलाने पर रोक शामिल है।

दिल्ली में एक बार फिर वायु आपातकाल

दिल्ली एनसीआर में वायु गुणवत्ता 'सीवियर' यानी गंभीर श्रेणी में जा चुकी है, जो केंद्र सरकार के वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी तंत्र 'सफर' के मुताबिक सबसे खराब श्रेणी है. दिल्ली का औसत एक्यूआई 504 हो चुका है, जबकि 'सफर' में अधिकतम सीमा ही 500 की है. कुछ इलाकों में स्थिति इससे भी ज्यादा खराब है. ऐसे हालात में डॉक्टरों और सरकार की तरफ से घर के बाहर जाने से बचने की एडवाइजरी जारी की जाती है. चिंता इस बात की है कि अभी वायु गुणवत्ता पर अभी दिवाली और सर्दियों का असर होना बाकी है. जैसे कोई काल्पनिक भविष्य गुरुवार को दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता में अचानक गिरावट आई थी और शाम होते होते एक्यूआई 400 पार कर गया था. शुक्रवार को 500 का आंकड़ा भी पीछे छूट गया. पूरे एनसीआर पर स्मॉग की मोटी चादर छा गई. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की एग्जेकेटिव डायरेक्टर अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने अखबार को बताया कि अगली फसल की बुवाई का समय करीब आ गया है और किसान जल्दी पराली से छुटकारा पाना चाहते हैं. रॉयचौधरी के मुताबिक इस समय अगर किसानों को पराली से निजात पाने के आसान और पर्यावरण के अनुकूल उपाय उपलब्ध नहीं कराए गए तो उनके पास उसे जलाने के अलावा कोई विकल्प नहीं रहेगा.

गोपाल राय ने उत्तर भारत में प्रदूषण के कारण केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री से ‘सक्रिय’ होने की अपील की

नयी दिल्ली, तीन नवंबर (भाषा) दिल्ली के पर्यावरण मंत्री गोपाल राय ने वायु प्रदूषण की समस्या से निपटने के लिए केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री से ‘‘सक्रिय’’ होने की शुक्रवार को अपील करते हुए कहा कि न केवल राष्ट्रीय राजधानी, बल्कि समूचा उत्तर भारत प्रदूषण की चपेट में है। राय ने यहां एक संवाददाता सम्मेलन में कहा कि भारतीय जनता पार्टी दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण के लिए मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को जिम्मेदार ठहरा रही है, लेकिन उत्तर प्रदेश और हरियाणा में खराब वायु गुणवत्ता के लिए वह जिम्मेदार नहीं हैं। राय ने केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री से ‘‘सक्रिय’’ होने की अपील करते हुए कहा, ‘‘ऐसा नहीं लगता कि दिल्ली में कोई केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्रालय भी है।’’ एक स्वतंत्र थिंक टैंक ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट’ के एक अध्ययन का हवाला देते हुए उन्होंने कहा कि दिल्ली में 69 प्रतिशत वायु प्रदूषण पड़ोसी राज्यों से आता है। उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘हम (दिल्ली) समस्या से निपटने के लिए हरसंभव कदम उठा रहे हैं लेकिन कोई नहीं जानता कि उत्तर प्रदेश और हरियाणा के पर्यावरण मंत्री क्या कर रहे हैं।’’ उन्होंने आगाह किया कि समूचे दिल्ली-एनसीआर के लिए अगले 15 दिन अहम है और सभी राज्य सरकारों को चौकन्ना रहना चाहिए और वायु प्रदूष्ण से निपटने के लिए एक साथ मिलकर काम करना चाहिए। राय ने कहा कि सरकार को फीडबैक मिला है कि संबंधित विभागों द्वारा गठित वायु प्रदूषण निगरानी दल जमीनी स्तर पर उचित तरीके से काम नहीं कर रहे हैं। उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘अत: हमने इन दलों के कामकाज पर नजर रखने के लिए एक तंत्र बनाने के वास्ते सभी संबंधित विभागों को निर्देश दिए हैं।’’ यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए भी निर्देश दिए गए हैं कि वायु प्रदूषण पर काबू पाने के लिए केंद्र के वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (सीएक्यूएम) द्वारा जारी दिशा-निर्देशों का सख्ती से पालन किया जाए। सीएक्यूएम ने राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में वायु गुणवत्ता ‘‘गंभीर’’ श्रेणी में चली जाने के बाद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में बृहस्पतिवार को गैर-जरूरी निर्माण कार्य, पत्थर काटने और खनन पर प्रतिबंध का आदेश दिया।

हर साल दिवाली के करीब दिल्ली में क्यों जहरीली हो जाती है हवा?

अक्टूबर के पहले हफ्तेतक दिल्ली की हवा की क्वालिटी (Delhi air Quality) करीब सामान्य थी। लेकिन, अब यह खतरनाक स्तर पर पहुंच गई है। पराली जलाने के मामले बढ़े हैं। इंडियन एग्रीकल्चरल रिसर्च इंस्टीट्यूट (IARI) के डेटा बताते हैं कि 15 सितंबर से 21 अक्टूबर के दौरान पराली जलाने के 4,026 मामले आए हैं। दरअसल, इस दौरान पंजाब, हरियाणा, उत्तर प्रदेश, दिल्ली, राजस्थान और मध्य प्रदेश में धान की फसल की कटाई शुरू हो गई है, जिससे पराली जलाने (Stubble burning) के मामले सामने आए है। हालांकि, पिछले साल के इसी अवधि के मुकाबले ये मामले थोड़े कम हैं। दिवाली के करीब आने के साथ आने वाले दिनों में हवा की क्वालिटी और खराब होने का डर है। यह चिंता का सबब है। लंबे समय तक हवा की क्वालिटी खराब होने से लोगों के स्वास्थ्यपर खराब असर पड़ सकता है। खासकर, सांस की बीमारी वाले लोगों और बुजुर्गों को दिक्कत का सामना करना पड़ सकता है। नेशनल इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ एडवान्स स्टडीज बेंगलोर के प्रोफेसर गुफरान बेग ने कहा कि 2022 असाधारण साल था,क्योंकिक्यों हवा की क्वालिटी को कंट्रो ल में रखा जा सका था। इसके अलावा फायर काउंट्स के मामले भी पिछले तीन सालों के मुकाबले कम थे। बेग SAFAR के फाउंडर प्रोजेक्ट डायरेक्टर भी हैं। इसे एयर क्वालिटी बेहतर बनाए रखने के लिए मिनिस्ट्री ऑफ अर्थ साइंसेज की तरफ से शुरू किया गया है। उन्होंनेन्हों नेकहा कि पिछले 5 साल में प्रदूषण ज्यादातर 6 से 7 नवंबर के दौरान सबसे ज्यादा रहता है। अगर वैज्ञानिक उपायों की मदद ली जाए तो इस दौरान हवा की गुणवत्ता को खराब होने से रोका जा सकता है। देर से दिवाली आने परज्यादा खतरा पर्यावरण विशेषज्ञ चंद्रभूषण का भी मानना है कि दिवाली और प्रदूषण के बीच करीबी संबंध है। इसकी वजह यह है कि इस वक्त पराली जलाने के मामले भी चरम पर होते हैं। जब दिवाली अक्टूबर के अंत से नवंबर के अंत के बीच पड़ती है तो AQI काफी बढ़ जाता है। 2019 में दिवाली 27 अक्टूबर को मनाई गई थी। तब एक्यूआई 337 था। उस साल सिर्फ पंजाब और हरियाणा से उस दिन पराली जलाने के 16,336 मामले आए थे। 2020 में दिवाली 14 नवंबर को थी। तब दोनों राज्यों में पराली जलाने के 80,660 मामले आए थे। इससे 14 नवंबर को AQI बढ़कर 414 पर पहुंच गया था। 2021 में 4 नवंबर को दिवाली थी। उस दिन एक्यूआई 382 था। तब पराली जलाने के 27,276 मामले आए थे। एक दूसरे एक्सपर्ट ने कहा कि हमें यह पता नहीं कि अगर जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से जाड़े की शुरुआत में बारिश होती है तो उसका मौसम पर किस तरह का असर पड़ेगा। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड इनवायरमेंट की एग्जिक्यूटिव डायरेक्टर अनुमिता रायचौधरी ने कहा कि आम तौर पर दिवाली के नवंबर के दूसरे तीसरे हफ्तेमें होने पर शांत और शीतल मौसम की स्थितियों में पराली जलाने के मामले आते हैं, जिससे प्रदूषण का लेवल बढ़ जाता है। हालांकि, उन्होंनेन्हों नेकहा कि प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित करने के उपायों से स्थिति को बिगड़ने से बचाया जा सकता है। हमें क्रॉप बर्निंग को रोकना होगा।

Delhi AQI: Connaught Place smog tower remains defunct, BJP attacks Delhi govt

India’s first smog tower in Delhi’s Connaught Place remained defunct while the air quality in several areas of the national capital reeled under the” severe” category”. The AQI around Delhi-NCR was crossed the 500 mark on November 3. The tower, worth Rs 20 crore, aimed at purifying air in a 1-km radius around the structure was inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in August 2021. It can filter around 1,000 cubic metres of air per second. Around 40 fans were installed at the bottom of the tower to suck in air from the top. The air would then be filtered and released through the fans at the bottom. The tower comprises 5,000 filters. Electrostatic air filters were installed to filter microparticles, including those that constitute smoke, household dust and pollen. A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was also installed to collect data and monitor its functioning. This tower was established as a pilot project. Later another such tower was set up in Anand Vihar. Since the towers were set up, IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi have been studying the efficiency of the smog towers in providing clean air zones in specific regions and their performance in reducing the levels of PM2.5 and PM10. However, recently the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) suggested that the smog tower be shut down as it was found to be “largely ineffective in tackling air pollution”. It also said the site should be used as an environmental and climate change innovation centre. In December 2021, data submitted by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) showed a 50-60 percent reduction in PM 2.5 concentration but only between the inlet and the outlet of the smog tower, reported Hindustan Times. Experts have also argued that smog towers are no answer to Delhi’s air pollution woes. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and Environment, said that smog towers across the world haven’t emerged as a solution to the air pollution problem. “There is no scientific study at the moment to back the need for smog towers,” she said. According to an Indian Express report last year, a Delhi government official said that the smog tower had “underperformed”. “The sensors that are placed to collect data were not placed correctly and not giving proper readings. There were issues with the filters as well, which would get dislodged at high fan speeds. Leaks that allowed polluted air into the system were detected in a few places” the official said. Meanwhile, after the reports of the tower being defunct surfaced, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala attacked the Delhi government for the tower’s closure. "I am here at Delhi's smog tower. It was claimed that pollution would come down by 50 per cent with the help of this smog tower, however, for the last 7-8 months this smog tower has not been working. Today, when Delhi has turned into a gas chamber, this smog tower remains closed. Questions must be asked from the Kejriwal government on what has it done in the last 7-8 years to address the issue of air pollution in Delhi,” he said.