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रिपोर्ट में दावा- सर्दियों में साफ हुई दिल्ली की हवा, COVID-19 से पहले के मुकाबले 20 फीसदी घटा प्रदूषण

नई दिल्ली. दिल्ली में सर्दी के दौरान औसत पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषण महामारी से पहले के मुकाबले 20 फीसदी घट गया है. विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की ओर से जारी नई रिपोर्ट में यह दावा किया गया है. आकलन के दौरान दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में एक जनवरी 2015 से लगातार सर्दी के सात मौसमों और सर्दी पूर्व के रुझानों को शामिल किया गया. यह रिपोर्ट इस क्षेत्र के सक्रिय 81 वायु गणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशन से उपलब्ध ‘रियल टाइम डाटा’ पर आधारित है. महामारी से पहले सर्दी के दौरान पीएम 2.5 सांद्रता प्रति घन मीटर 180-190 माइक्रोग्राम तक बढ़ जाती थी, लेकिन रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि पीएम 2.5 सांद्रता अब घटकर प्रति घन मीटर 150 से 160 माइक्रोग्राम तक रह गई है.

Use of diesel gensets banned in NCR after forecast of ‘very poor’ air

New Delhi With forecasts showing that Delhi’s air quality may touch the ‘very poor’ category by October 22, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the national capital region’s sub-committee on Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) on Wednesday announced that measures under Stage II of the strategy were being introduced across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The CAQM sub-committee convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday after forecasts by the Early Warning System (EWS) under the Union ministry of earth sciences showed that the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi will may touch the ‘very poor’ level by October 22 and could remain in this category for the subsequent six days. “In the meeting, it was noted that there is a forecast for deteriorating of air quality in Delhi and the AQI may move into the ‘very poor’ category from October 22, which is likely to be the result of calm wind conditions. Also, Diwali on October 24 is expected to worsen the situation further. Therefore, in an effort to prevent further deterioration in AQI, the sub-committee has decided that all actions as envisaged under Stage II of the Grap’s ‘Very Poor’ category need to be implemented in right earnest by all the agencies concerned and with immediate effect,” the CAQM said in an order. Despite the introduction of these measures, Delhi’s air quality actually showed an improvement on Wednesday, recording an AQI of 228, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily national bulletin, released at 4 pm each day. In comparison, it was 241 on Tuesday and 237 on Monday. However, Wednesday’s reading was still in the ‘poor’ category for a fourth consecutive day. The CPCB defines an AQI between zero and 50 as “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and over 400 is ‘severe’ Stage II of the Grap has 12 measures, including a ban on diesel generator sets across NCR (barring those for emergency and essential services) and a ban on the use of coal and firewood, including in tandoors. Other measures include asking agencies to enhance parking fees across NCR to discourage the use of private transport as well as the need for agencies to carry out the augmentation of private transport (CNG/electric buses and metro services) by either procuring additional fleet or increasing the frequency of services. The CAQM order also asked the people to follow the citizen charter under Grap -- a set of measures people can follow to reduce air pollution around them, including using public transport as much as possible, regularly replace air filters in their automobiles, and avoiding dust-generating construction activities between October and January. VK Soni, scientist at IMD and part of the CAQM sub-committee, said calm winds were already starting to influence air quality at night and forecasts show Delhi’s AQI on Diwali day will be ‘very poor’. “By October 22, wind speed will become calm in the region and lead to pollutants gradually accumulating. Added emissions from sources like vehicles and firecrackers may further deteriorate AQI by Diwali, but at the same time, the wind direction during this period will ensure stubble burning does not impact Delhi,” he said. This year, a revised Grap is in place, which is linked to AQI instead of PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentration. It was revised through a new comprehensive policy that was released by CAQM on July 13, with Grap now having four stages as compared to five categories earlier. Stage I or ‘Poor’ is when the AQI is between 201 and 300. This came into force on October 5, when Delhi’s AQI touched 211 on the day. Stage II or ‘Very Poor’ is when the AQI is between 301 and 400; Stage III or ‘Severe’ when the AQI is between 401 and 450 and the ‘Severe Plus’ or Stage IV category measures are to be enforced if the AQI is expected to touch 450+ Under the new Grap, while measures under the ‘Poor’ category are to be enforced when the AQI touches a threshold of 201 or higher, for Stage II, III and IV, measures need to be enforced at least three days in advance, based on the forecasts of the EWS developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said it was important that pre-emptive action was being taken this year. “However, like all measures and plans, it will depend on enforcement on the ground and how effectively teams are able to ensure compliance,” she said. A transport department official said the Delhi government was ready to comply with the Grap directions, with the bus fleet similarly augmented last year by procuring 1,000 buses on an emergency basis. “Like last year, the directions will be followed. More buses will be added in due course,” the official said. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) meanwhile did not respond to HT’s queries on whether parking fees will be hiked across the capital. As per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), a government air forecasting body, the contribution of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM 2.5 was just 1% on Wednesday. This was despite a total of 594 farm fires being recorded across Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours. “Wind direction has started to change and so Delhi is not being impacted by stubble burning at the moment,” said Gufran Beig, founder project director at Safar.

Extended producer responsibility: Are rules enough to end plastic pollution

Being the fifth highest generator of plastic waste in the world, India needs to be tougher on big brands if we are to reduce our plastic footprint, experts say. India wants its biggest plastic polluters to clean up their mess but new rules introduced in February 2022 have done little to reduce plastic pollution. Only a proportion of producers, importers and brand owners have registered on a centralised portal that would track their plastic collection and recycling targets. While these targets are set by the government, they are based on the self-declared volume of plastic manufactured or imported by those brands. Further, achievement of these targets will be certified by recyclers, which might leave room for corruption. Companies also have the option of purchasing credits if they fail to meet their targets, which might lead to lax implementation. In effect, experts say, the rules will do little to end hazardous plastic waste. . In February 2022, years after conceptualising Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic through the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, India notified guidelines for the policy. Based on the 'polluter pays' principle, the guidelines lay down responsibilities of all stakeholders engaged in the plastic industry and fines for violations. . The guidelines cover producers, importers and brand owners (online platforms, supermarkets, retail chains) or PIBOs of plastic as well as plastic waste processors. Among the categories of plastic to be collected and recycled under EPR are rigid packaging, flexible packaging of single layer or multilayer plastic sheets such as plastic sachets or pouches, multilayer plastic packaging and carry bags made of compostable plastic. . India is the fifth highest generator of plastic waste in the world. It banned certain single-use plastic products from July 1, but that ban has largely been unsuccessful, our reporting from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru showed. In the second part of this series on controlling plastic pollution, we explore why India's EPR rules fall short. . IndiaSpend reached out to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Union environment ministry with queries on the lacunae in the EPR rules, steps taken to improve registrations and the status of EPR implementation so far. We will update the story when they respond. . Plastic pollution abounds . Every packet of chips, shampoo sachet or chocolate wrapper you discard is made up of a type of plastic that may not be recyclable. Estimates say 43% of manufactured plastic in India is used for packaging purposes, and is mostly single-use plastic. However, packaging plastic was not included in the list of products India banned in July 2022 and the onus was put on companies to recycle it under EPR. . The estimated market size of India's plastic industry stands at Rs 7.1 lakh crore ($96 billion) as of 2021-22 and it employs more than 4 million people, according to the Plastic Industry Status Report 2021, by PlastIndia Foundation, a body of the major associations, organisations, and institutions connected with plastics. In 2021-22, India's plastic demand was 20.89 million tonnes which is projected to exceed 22 million tonnes by 2023, the report said, adding that the plastic industry claims to recycle more than 60% of plastic waste generated after a product is consumed and its packaging discarded. . Accurate data on plastic waste generation, collection and disposal are elusive, as several regional pollution boards do not file this information, IndiaSpend had reported on April 2, 2019. . Plastics are categorised into seven categories and not all products are recyclable. For instance, while plastic bottles, which fall into the PET category, are recyclable, plastic bags of chips, shampoo sachets and chocolate wrappers are not. These packets, sachets or wrappers are very likely made of multilayer plastic (MLP) or plastic that consists of one layer of plastic and another layer of a different material, such as aluminium foil. . MLP is very hard to recycle at scale which means it can only be disposed of using methods such as incineration, which leads to carbon emissions or, by using it in road construction or cement kilns. MLPs are also extremely hard to collect and even if a ragpicker collects them, they fetch very little value. . Every year, groups of volunteers conduct brand audits in various countries as part of the 'Break Free From Plastic' movement. A brand audit involves counting and documenting the brands found on plastic waste to identify the companies responsible for plastic pollution. In 2021, more than 1,000 volunteers in 19 states across India conducted a brand audit involving 149,985 pieces of plastic, of which 70% were labelled with names of consumer brands. . The top three international companies polluting India with plastic, according to this report, are Unilever, Pepsico and Coca Cola. The top three Indian brands found in plastic waste were Parle, ITC Limited and Britannia. IndiaSpend reached out to all of them with queries on their EPR registration, total volume of plastic used, their EPR targets, percentage of MLP in total packaging and whether they have invested in research on alternatives. . In response, ITC Limited shared that it has gone past plastic neutrality (recycling as much plastic as it manufactured) in 2021-22. It collected and sustainably managed more than 54,000 tons of plastic waste across 35 states and Union Territories in India. "ITC will endeavour to ensure that 100% of its packaging is reusable, recyclable, compostable or biodegradable over the next decade," a company spokesperson said over email, adding that the company has developed sustainable packaging solutions to substitute single-use plastics. . In response to our queries, Pepsico stated that it aims to design 100% of its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025, increase recycled content in its plastics packaging to 50% by 2030, reduce 50% of virgin plastic per serving across its food and beverage portfolio by 2030 and invest to increase recycling rates in key markets by 2025. . "We have an EPR registration from CPCB, basis our action plan submitted to the regulatory authority, and we are on track to achieving our targets, like we have for the past few years," stated a Pepsico spokesperson in an email response. "For the past two years, we have been achieving 100% equivalent of MLP collection and sustainable disposal in partnership with waste management partners across states. PepsiCo India has also been filing the annual returns as required under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. We are not using any of the single use items mentioned by the Government of India in the banned list, in our portfolio," he added further. . This story will be updated when the other companies respond. . While India does not have data on MLPs as a percentage of total plastic waste, the brand audit report said, based on its findings, "multi-layered plastics made up 35% of all plastic waste, and 40% of all branded plastic waste". . You produce, you recycle . The EPR rules have mandated category-wise annual EPR targets for PIBOs starting last year (2021-22) and they are then supposed to use this recycled plastic into packaging from 2024-25 onwards. CPCB is authorised to levy environmental penalties on PIBOs who do not achieve their EPR targets and the violator will still have to meet their EPR goal the next year. The rules require PIBOs to provide an action plan containing their EPR target including average weight of plastic manufactured/imported/purchased. . "The rules mandated an action plan to be submitted by each of the brand owners by early 2017. There has been no update on this ever since and we are still oblivious to the amount and type of plastic waste we are generating and managing each year," stated the Centre for Science and Environment's Plastic Recycling Decoded report released in 2021. The report had listed unwillingness of the brands to publicly disclose their plastic usage and wide-spread collusion between the industry, recyclers and prescribed authorities as possible reasons behind this. . In a notification in July 2022, even the obligation on PIBOs to submit an action plan was removed, but they still have to disclose the volume of plastic they manufacture and their EPR targets. For example, if a producer is producing 100 metric tonnes of plastic in a given year, they have to disclose the same and if the target is to collect and dispose 25% of this in the first year, then their EPR target stands at 25 metric tonnes. . Few PIBO registrations . Forget the next steps, brands have lagged on the very first one--that is, registration. . Under the new rules, PIBOs and plastic waste processors are not allowed to carry on any business without registration on the CPCB's EPR portal. . There are 4,953 registered units engaged with plastic in 30 States/Union territories in India, the CPCB's report from 2019-20 shows. This includes 3,715 plastic manufacturers or producers, 896 recyclers, 47 manufacturers of compostable plastic and 295 manufacturing MLPs. . "In India, we don't even have an inventory of PIBOs. How will you check EPR compliance when you have a numerator [number of PIBOs registered] but no denominator [total number of PIBOs]?" asked Atin Biswas, Program Director (municipal solid waste) at CSE. The CPCB report pegs the number of unregistered plastic manufacturing/recycling units at 823 in nine states/UTs. The CPCB does not have public data on importers or brand owners in India. IndiaSpend reached out to the CPCB and the Union environment ministry regarding the total number of PIBOs in India. We will update the story when they respond. . So far, the CPCB's online portal for registration of PIBOs has registered 662 brand owners, nine producers and 559 importers of categorised plastics, as of data from the portal's homepage on October 11, 2022. The live dashboard on the portal says 772 brand owners, 822 producers, 1163 importers and 1,128 plastic waste processors have registered so far. We have asked CPCB why the numbers vary and will update the story when we receive a response. . Despite the EPR notification coming in as far back as 2018, why have all PIBOs not registered for EPR, especially when the rules prohibit them from doing any business without this mandatory registration? One reason, at least for small recycling units, could be the tedious process, as the rules have placed the burden of compliance specifically on them, explained Hiten Bheda, ex-President of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) and chairman of its environment committee. . "When it comes to recyclers, there are around 70 clusters comprising mostly informal units around India. Unfortunately, their efforts to formalise through registration are hampered by demand for back-dated fees, penalties and interest charges. The cost of complying with these amounts to lakhs which is beyond their financial capacity even before they can register themselves," said Bheda. "These historical charges will have to be waived and you will have to do hand holding of small recyclers in order to get them to register." . Multi-layered problem . Even if all PIBOs and waste processors undertake registration as mandated by CPCB, disclose their obligations and recycle a certain quantity of plastic, will India's EPR rules actually reduce plastic waste that is ending up in landfills and oceans? Will the plastic be disposed of in an environmentally-conscious way? . In 2018, the government amended the original Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 which had called for phasing out the manufacture and use of non-recyclable multilayered plastic in two years' time. In the amendment, the phrase "non-recyclable multi-layered plastic" was substituted with "multi-layered plastic which is non-recyclable or non-energy recoverable or with no alternate use". . "This gave producers a loophole to claim that packaging material, if not recycled, can be put to some other use [such as waste to energy]," noted the CSE's Managing Plastic Waste report released in 2020. As incineration of plastic leads to carbon emissions, use of plastic in converting waste to energy, waste to oil or in cement kilns should not be a substitute for recycling and these options should only be considered when recycling is not possible, experts have pointed out. . There are also concerns of scope of corruption in the new regime. . "As part of EPR rules, every brand has to collect a recycling certificate from its recycling partner. The government has no way of finding out if that volume of plastic was actually recycled…Also, since EPR plan is purely based on voluntary disclosure, the government also cannot check how much plastic has been released into the market by these companies," said Biswas, the programme director at CSE. . The rules have empowered pollution control boards to undertake periodic audits and inspections to check compliance of PIBOs and waste processors, but without an inventory of the total number of PIBOs, there are questions of what fraction of total plastic waste the EPR targets represent. It is only now, through the disclosures on the portal, that the authorities are hoping to gauge the plastic packaging material introduced in the market by PIBOs. . The CPCB is also expected to carry out a compositional survey of collected mixed municipal waste to determine the share of plastic waste, as well as of the different categories of plastic packaging material on a half-yearly basis, as per the EPR guidelines. IndiaSpend reached out to the CPCB and the Union environment ministry regarding the survey. This story will be updated when they respond. . "Behaviour of using plastic is supply-driven," pointed out Swati Sheshadri, team lead at the Centre for Financial Accountability, a Delhi-based research organisation which tracks the role of financial institutions. "We were not used to buying sachets or pouches some decades ago, it is the companies which started selling products in that form. The concept of purity was pushed by the industry. Plastic is a supply-driven industry, not a demand-driven one," she said of India's larger plastic problem over the decades. . Sheshadri believes that self-regulation will not work for large corporations and that they should be asked to invest in research for alternatives to plastic packaging. . This CSE report had gone a step further and demanded that since the only stakeholders benefiting from MLPs are the brand owners and producers, they should be asked to pay extra taxes on its production and on its use. . Recycling in the informal sector . Notably, plastics are recycled at least five to eight times in India and almost all types of plastics are channelised and pre-processed by the informal sector before being passed to the formal sector to make finished plastic products. . Considering the contribution of the informal sector, the Break Free From Plastic-India report had noted that "there is a real danger that EPR will channel materials away from the informal sector and into a new, private sector, destroying the livelihoods of millions". . The India report was authored by Lubna Anantakrishnan of Kashtakari Panchayat, a Pune-based NGO that supports waste pickers, their families and their collectives. Another NGO Swachh, a Pune-based co-operative society owned by waste pickers which is also part of BFFP network, under an EPR model collected over 1,800 metric tonnes of multi-layered plastics and diverted them away from landfills and cement plants with support from ITC Limited, a private business conglomerate that has many businesses, including consumer goods and packaging, and in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation. This initiative has contributed to a direct increase in income for waste pickers and emissions reduction of over 1,030 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, Swachh claims. . "Despite the efficiency and resilience of informal waste pickers and the recycling sector, non-recyclable plastics will continue to pose a serious environmental threat unless producers commit to eliminating them," the Break Free From Plastic-India report had noted. "The current plastic packaging and delivery system only appears cheaper to companies because they have been able to externalise a major part of the life cycle costs of their products. It is time for these companies to internalise the true cost of their production and invest in sustainable systems."

एक्यूआई 'बेहद खराब', जीआरएपी-2 दिल्ली में लागू

दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता, जो वर्तमान में "खराब" श्रेणी में है, के 22 अक्टूबर को "बहुत खराब" होने की संभावना है, जिसे देखते हुए वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (CAQM) की उप-समिति ने बुधवार को चरण लागू किया। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (जीआरएपी) के II उपाय। इसने डीजल जनरेटर सेट और कोयले और जलाऊ लकड़ी के उपयोग पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया, जिसमें होटल, रेस्तरां और खुले भोजनालयों में तंदूर शामिल हैं। पिछले वर्षों के विपरीत, संशोधित GRAP का चरण II, III और IV पूर्वानुमान के आधार पर तीन दिन पहले लागू होता है। उप-समिति ने एनसीआर के नागरिकों से सार्वजनिक परिवहन का उपयोग करने और निजी वाहनों के उपयोग को कम करने की भी अपील की। 22 अक्टूबर तक हवा की गुणवत्ता 'बेहद खराब' क्षेत्र में जा सकती है वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (CAQM) ने ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (GRAP) के दूसरे चरण के उपायों को लागू करते हुए बुधवार को अपने आदेश में कहा, "दिल्ली में वायु गुणवत्ता के बिगड़ने का अनुमान है और AQI में स्थानांतरित हो सकता है। 22 अक्टूबर से 'बेहद खराब' श्रेणी, जो शांत हवा की स्थिति और स्थिर वायुमंडलीय स्थिति का परिणाम होने की संभावना है। 24 अक्टूबर को दीपावली से स्थिति और खराब होने की आशंका है। इसलिए, हवा की गुणवत्ता को और खराब होने से रोकने के प्रयास में, उप-समिति ने निर्णय लिया कि जीआरएपी के चरण II के तहत सभी कार्यों को चरण I के तहत सभी कार्यों के अलावा, एनसीआर में सभी संबंधित एजेंसियों द्वारा तत्काल प्रभाव से लागू किया जाए। " सीएक्यूएम आदेश ने अस्पतालों और नर्सिंग होम, लिफ्ट, एस्केलेटर, ट्रैवलेटर, रेलवे सेवाओं, मेट्रो सेवाओं, हवाई अड्डों, आईएसबीटी, सीवेज उपचार संयंत्रों, जल पंपिंग स्टेशनों, राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा में चिकित्सा सेवाओं जैसी आपातकालीन और आवश्यक सेवाओं को छोड़कर, डीजी सेट के उपयोग पर रोक लगा दी। /रक्षा संबंधी गतिविधियां, राष्ट्रीय महत्व की परियोजनाएं और दूरसंचार/डेटा सेवाएं। तथापि, किसी भी क्षेत्र के लिए सीएनजी/पीएनजी/एलपीजी से चलने वाले जनरेटर सेट के संचालन पर कोई प्रतिबंध नहीं है। उद्योगों के लिए, सीएक्यूएम ने पहले ही दोहरे ईंधन वाले डीजी सेट के उपयोग को दिन में अधिकतम दो घंटे चलाने की अनुमति दी है। चरण II में सड़कों की मशीनीकृत सफाई, निजी परिवहन को हतोत्साहित करने के लिए पार्किंग शुल्क में वृद्धि, अतिरिक्त बेड़े की खरीद करके सीएनजी/इलेक्ट्रिक बस और मेट्रो सेवाओं को बढ़ाने और सेवा की आवृत्ति बढ़ाने और निवासियों के कल्याण संघों को बिजली के हीटर प्रदान करने के निर्देश देने जैसे गहन शमन कार्यों की मांग की गई है। खुले बायोमास और नगरपालिका ठोस अपशिष्ट जलाने से बचने के लिए सुरक्षा कर्मचारियों को सर्दी। नागरिकों को अपने ऑटोमोबाइल में अनुशंसित अंतराल पर नियमित रूप से एयर फिल्टर बदलने और धूल पैदा करने वाली निर्माण गतिविधियों से बचने के लिए कहा गया है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की कार्यकारी निदेशक, अनुसंधान और वकालत अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा, "इस साल जीआरएपी में महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव यह है कि पूर्वानुमान के आधार पर पूर्व-खाली और निवारक कार्रवाई की जा रही है। हालांकि, पूरे में उपायों का उचित प्रवर्तन। दिल्ली और एनसीआर गंभीर है।" इस बीच, राजधानी का समग्र एक्यूआई 228 था और दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता 21 अक्टूबर तक खराब श्रेणी में रहने की संभावना है। दिल्ली की हवा में जलने वाले पराली का हिस्सा बुधवार को सिर्फ 1% था। भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग के पर्यावरण और अनुसंधान केंद्र के प्रमुख वी के सोनी ने कहा, "शाम और रात के समय शांत हवाएं चलने की संभावना है, जिससे प्रदूषकों का संचय होगा। दिवाली के दौरान वायु गुणवत्ता 'बहुत खराब' श्रेणी में रहने की संभावना है। " उन्होंने कहा, "प्रतिकूल मौसम की स्थिति के साथ-साथ वाहनों से होने वाले प्रदूषण और पटाखों जैसे अतिरिक्त उत्सर्जन से दिवाली के दौरान हवा की गुणवत्ता खराब होने की संभावना है।"

It’s time for Delhi’s wintry ‘darkness at noon’

Air quality improved during peak pandemic, has been stagnant: action now will determine future Delhi’s seasonal PM2.5 average during and after the pandemic shows about 20% improvement compared to the 2015-18 winters. But the progress has stagnated. * In National Capital Region (NCR) cities, seasonal PM2.5 average for 2021-22 winter was 10-30% lower than 2020-21 winter; Ghaziabad and Faridabad have fared worse among the major NCR cities. * The 2018-19 winter had recorded the highest number of smog days (31). * Farm stubble fires of Punjab-Haryana-Delhi have increased in numbers and intensity. * Diwali night pollution has continued to remain high till last year. * There is need for strong preemptive and preventive action to control pollution from all key sources with zero tolerance across Delhi-NCR. These are the highlights of the alert report issued by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. As Delhi and the NCR brace for the upcoming winter, it remains to be seen if the seasonal average of PM2.5 during winter – that had improved during the pandemic but had stagnated post-pandemic – will further bend or increase. This winter season is also starting from a much cleaner benchmark due to rains in September and October. The CSE’s Urban Lab has released its winter pollution assessment. The objective, says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE, has been “to understand the trend and the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region. This would also capture the longer term context of seasonal variation and annual trends in particulate pollution.” See detailed note with analysis: https://www.cseindia.org/Start-of-Winter2022-note.pdf This is the first analysis of the third edition of Urban Lab’s Air Quality Tracker Initiative which was started in 2020-21 winter to study the impact of pandemic lockdown on the air quality of Delhi-NCR.

Delhi: Air pollution in winter has reduced 20% compared to pre-Covid era, finds report

Delhi has been marking poor on the Air Quality Index (AQI) for a week now. This comes after a few days of reporting clean and fresh air following a spell of heavy rainfall in October. Reports by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have shown that the average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that is a concern for people's health when levels in air are high. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from 1 January 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. "Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters," the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted as compared to 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30 per cent improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. "Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent)," the report said. Gurugram, with 11 per cent improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. The report also highlighted that a different station in Delhi recorded peak pollution every winter over the last years. "Shadipur, DTU, CRRI Mathura Road, JLN Stadium, Alipur, ITO and Rohini have occupied the worst peak pollution title in the last seven winters. These are spread across the city with no clear pattern. This indicates that the winter pollution is regional in nature and short-term peak build-up can happen anywhere based on local meteorology and pollution sources," the report read.

Delhi PM2.5 pollution in winters has dipped 20 pc compared to pre-pandemic period: Report

The average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and “the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region”. Ads by The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. “Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters,” the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted as compared to 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30 per cent improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. “Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent),” the report said. Gurugram, with 11 per cent improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. The report also highlighted that a different station in Delhi recorded peak pollution every winter over the last years. “Shadipur, DTU, CRRI Mathura Road, JLN Stadium, Alipur, ITO and Rohini have occupied the worst peak pollution title in the last seven winters. These are spread across the city with no clear pattern. This indicates that the winter pollution is regional in nature and short-term peak build-up can happen anywhere based on local meteorology and pollution sources,” the report read. PTI GVS IJT

Delhi, Mask Up: Diwali, More Farm Fires May Spark Return of Smog, Says Early Winter Pollution Alert

With air quality deteriorating across the National Capital Region (NCR), an early winter pollution alert issued by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has warned that conditions are turning ripe for a severe smog episode to begin from Diwali night. The festival is falling relatively early this year when the days are still warmer, and prevailing winds could help dilute the pollution during the day. The farm fires are also relatively less, and yet to overwhelm the air quality. However, CSE’s analysis based on previous years’ data shows that Diwali night can add 300-600 µg/m3 of PM2.5 to Delhi’s air if the business-as-usual scenario continues. Just a day before, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) too had warned of the start of poor air days for Delhi from October 22, with a subsequent rise in pollutants. While the impact of stubble burning on air quality remains low due to a 50 per cent drop in fire counts in this season so far, CSE says the “low number implies that massive burning is in store in the coming few days”. According to the researchers, there is a “very high” likelihood that farm stubble fire will drastically increase during the days leading to Diwali and will continue post the festival. Delay in the start of the burning season in the past has resulted in a concentration of burning activities which intensifies the smoke-fall in the region, they added. However, it remains to be seen what will happen this year. One of the most worrisome trends to emerge from the analysis is the increase in the duration as well as the intensity of smog episodes over the years. As per Delhi’s Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a smog episode is declared when the levels of PM2.5 remain in the “severe” category for three consecutive days. The analysis showed that there were three distinct smog episodes during the 2021 winter lasting for a total of 20 smog days, which was more than the 2020 winter which had 14 smog days, and even the 2019 winter which had 19 smog days. “Most smog days were observed in the 2018 winter when four smog episodes were recorded with a total of 31 smog days,” it stated. 2022 Monsoon Season Cleanest In Last 8 Years One hope was that Delhi had the cleanest start to winters since wide-scale monitoring started in 2018. In fact, the 2022 monsoon season was found to be the cleanest (in terms of air quality). The national capital received an unprecedented 115 mm of rainfall in the first two weeks of October, which pushed the usual state of bad air quality days further. There were five “good” AQI days (for PM2.5) in the first two weeks of October — the most recorded in the last eight winter seasons — compared to mere two “good” AQI days in the 2021 winter season. Its effects started to wane as PM2.5 levels rose above 90 µg/m3 (“poor” AQI breakpoint) on October 16. However, it remains to be seen if the seasonal average of PM2.5 during winter — that had improved during the pandemic but stagnated post-pandemic — will further bend or increase, said the assessment. “The intensity of winter pollution and severity of smog episodes will depend on the effectiveness of the long-term, multi-sector action so far in the entire region of Delhi and NCR and also on the enforceability of the short-term emergency action. Only the effectiveness of the air pollution control measures targeting all key sources will determine if the winter pollution trend that had stabilised post pandemic will continue to hold and improve or worsen further,” said CSE executive director (research & advocacy) Anumita Roychowdhury. Brace For Diwali Despite the ban, firecrackers are usually burnt across Delhi-National Capital Region triggering a massive spike in pollutants, which is persistently on the rise. The PM2.5 concentrations on Diwali night (8pm to 8am) last year stood at 747 µg/m3, 22 per cent higher than that in the 2020 Diwali night. The levels on 2021 Diwali night were 4.5 times the average night-time levels recorded in the week preceding Diwali. Advertisement According to the analysis, hourly concentrations can go beyond 1,000 µg/m3. On the Diwali of 2021, 26 of 38 operational monitoring stations hit the 1,000 µg/m3 mark. In 2020, 23 of 38 stations had hit the 1,000 µg/m3 mark, while in 2019 the number stood at 22 stations, as per the analysis done by CSE’s Urban Lab, which studied the annual and seasonal trends in PM2.5 concentrations in winters and pre-winters for the last seven years in Delhi and the National Capital Region, starting 2015. According to Roychowdhury, it is a wake-up call for more stringent pre-emptive and preventive measures to avert the smog episodes that cause excessive exposure and health risk during winter. The enforcement of GRAP needs to be equally stringent with zero tolerance across Delhi and NCR. GRAP suggests strict action to prevent industrial or household waste burning, access to clean fuels, LPG and electricity to all eateries and households, strengthening of public transport, dust control and minimising the use of diesel generator sets.

दिल्ली में सर्दी के दौरान पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषण महामारी से पहले के मुकाबले 20 फीसदी घटा: रिपोर्ट

Get Latest हिन्दी समाचार, Breaking News on India at LatestLY हिन्दी. दिल्ली में सर्दी के दौरान औसत पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषण महामारी से पहले के मुकाबले 20 फीसदी घट गया है। विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की ओर से बृहस्पतिवार को जारी नयी रिपोर्ट में यह दावा किया गया है। नयी दिल्ली, 20 अक्टूबर दिल्ली में सर्दी के दौरान औसत पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषण महामारी से पहले के मुकाबले 20 फीसदी घट गया है। विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की ओर से बृहस्पतिवार को जारी नयी रिपोर्ट में यह दावा किया गया है। आकलन के दौरान दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में एक जनवरी 2015 से लगातार सर्दी के सात मौसमों और सर्दी पूर्व के रुझानों को शामिल किया गया। यह रिपोर्ट इस क्षेत्र के सक्रिय 81 वायु गणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशन से उपलब्ध ‘रियल टाइम डाटा’ पर आधारित है। महामारी से पहले सर्दी (एक अक्टूबर से 28 फरवरी) के दौरान पीएम 2.5 सांद्रता प्रति घन मीटर 180-190 माइक्रोग्राम तक बढ़ जाती थी। लेकिन रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि पीएम 2.5 सांद्रता अब घटकर प्रति घन मीटर 150 से 160 माइक्रोग्राम तक रह गई है। सीएसई में शोध निदेशक अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा कि रिपोर्ट का मकसद प्रदूषण के रुझान को समझना है। हालांकि, सीएसई ने पाया कि सुधार के बावजूद इस मौसम का औसत अब भी 24 घंटों के मानक स्तर (60 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर) के मुकाबले 150 फीसदी अधिक है और यह करीब-करीब वार्षिक मानक स्तर (40 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर) का चार गुना है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया, ‘‘ महामारी से पहले चरम प्रदूषण (24 घंटों का सर्वाधिक खराब औसत) प्रति घन मीटर 800 माइक्रोग्राम के आंकड़े को पार कर जाया करता था, लेकिन पिछली तीन सर्दियों के दौरान यह स्तर प्रति घन मीटर 700-800 माइक्रोग्राम रहा।’’ हालांकि, सीएसई ने कहा कि चरम प्रदूषण का आंकड़ा असल स्तर को नहीं दर्शाता क्योंकि केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) ने वर्ष 2016-17 में प्रति घन मीटर 1000 माइक्रोग्राम की सीमा तय कर दी थी, जिससे चरम प्रदूषण स्तर का आकलन बहुत अधिक प्रभावित हुआ है। शोधकर्ताओं ने कहा कि वर्ष 2020-21 के मुकाबले वर्ष 2021-22 में एनसीआर के ज्यादातर शहरों में सर्दी में प्रदूषण सबसे कम था। गाजियाबाद में 30 फीसदी सुधार हुआ जो सभी बड़ी शहरों में सर्वाधिक है, लेकिन पीएम 2.5 स्तर अब भी 24 घंटों के मानक स्तर के मुकाबले करीब ढाई गुना था। ग्रेटर नोएडा (28 फीसदी), नोएडा (23 फीसदी) और फरीदाबाद (16 फीसदी) में भी सुधार दर्ज किया गया जो दिल्ली (12 फीसदी) से अधिक है। एनसीआर में सबसे खराब प्रदर्शन गुरुग्राम का रहा जहां प्रदूषण स्तर में केवल 11 फीसदी सुधार हुआ।

Delhi PM2.5 pollution in winters has dipped 20 pc compared to pre-pandemic period: Report

The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) The average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real-time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and "the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region". The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. "Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters," the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted as compared to 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30 per cent improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. "Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent)," the report said. Gurugram, with 11 per cent improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. The report also highlighted that a different station in Delhi recorded peak pollution every winter over the last years. "Shadipur, DTU, CRRI Mathura Road, JLN Stadium, Alipur, ITO and Rohini have occupied the worst peak pollution title in the last seven winters. These are spread across the city with no clear pattern. This indicates that the winter pollution is regional in nature and short-term peak build-up can happen anywhere based on local meteorology and pollution sources," the report read.

क्या कोरोना से पहले के मुकाबले दिल्ली में घट गया प्रदूषण! ये खबर पढ़कर मिलेगी राहत

दिल्ली में सर्दी के दौरान औसत पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषण महामारी से पहले के मुकाबले 20 फीसदी घट गया है. विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की ओर से बृहस्पतिवार को जारी नयी रिपोर्ट में यह दावा किया गया है. आकलन के दौरान दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में एक जनवरी 2015 से लगातार सर्दी के सात मौसमों और सर्दी पूर्व के रुझानों को शामिल किया गया. यह रिपोर्ट इस क्षेत्र के सक्रिय 81 वायु गणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशन से उपलब्ध ‘रियल टाइम डाटा’ पर आधारित है.Also Read - कोरोना की इस स्थिति के बीच मास्क को लेकर नया आदेश जारी, जानें महामारी से पहले सर्दी (एक अक्टूबर से 28 फरवरी) के दौरान पीएम 2.5 सांद्रता प्रति घन मीटर 180-190 माइक्रोग्राम तक बढ़ जाती थी. लेकिन रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि पीएम 2.5 सांद्रता अब घटकर प्रति घन मीटर 150 से 160 माइक्रोग्राम तक रह गई है. सीएसई में शोध निदेशक अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा कि रिपोर्ट का मकसद प्रदूषण के रुझान को समझना है. हालांकि, सीएसई ने पाया कि सुधार के बावजूद इस मौसम का औसत अब भी 24 घंटों के मानक स्तर (60 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर) के मुकाबले 150 फीसदी अधिक है और यह करीब-करीब वार्षिक मानक स्तर (40 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर) का चार गुना है. Also Read - Delhi Air Quality: जहरीली होने लगी है दिल्ली की हवा, आज से लगाई गईं हैं ये सख्त पाबंदियां, जानिए क्या रिपोर्ट में कहा गया, ‘‘ महामारी से पहले चरम प्रदूषण (24 घंटों का सर्वाधिक खराब औसत) प्रति घन मीटर 800 माइक्रोग्राम के आंकड़े को पार कर जाया करता था, लेकिन पिछली तीन सर्दियों के दौरान यह स्तर प्रति घन मीटर 700-800 माइक्रोग्राम रहा.’’ हालांकि, सीएसई ने कहा कि चरम प्रदूषण का आंकड़ा असल स्तर को नहीं दर्शाता क्योंकि केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) ने वर्ष 2016-17 में प्रति घन मीटर 1000 माइक्रोग्राम की सीमा तय कर दी थी, जिससे चरम प्रदूषण स्तर का आकलन बहुत अधिक प्रभावित हुआ है. Also Read - Delhi Air Pollution: दिवाली के समय दिल्ली में फिर बढ़ने लगा वायु प्रदूषण, इस शहर की हवा सबसे साफ शोधकर्ताओं ने कहा कि वर्ष 2020-21 के मुकाबले वर्ष 2021-22 में एनसीआर के ज्यादातर शहरों में सर्दी में प्रदूषण सबसे कम था. गाजियाबाद में 30 फीसदी सुधार हुआ जो सभी बड़ी शहरों में सर्वाधिक है, लेकिन पीएम 2.5 स्तर अब भी 24 घंटों के मानक स्तर के मुकाबले करीब ढाई गुना था. ग्रेटर नोएडा (28 फीसदी), नोएडा (23 फीसदी) और फरीदाबाद (16 फीसदी) में भी सुधार दर्ज किया गया जो दिल्ली (12 फीसदी) से अधिक है. एनसीआर में सबसे खराब प्रदर्शन गुरुग्राम का रहा जहां प्रदूषण स्तर में केवल 11 फीसदी सुधार हुआ.

Delhi: PM2.5 Pollution in Winters Dips 20% Compared to Pre-Pandemic Period

CSE reports said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted compared with 2020-21 for most NCR cities, with Gurugram being the worst. The average PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20% as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and "the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region". The seasonal average is still over 150 % above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. "Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters," the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted compared with 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30% improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. "Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent)," the report said. Gurugram, with 11% improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. The report also highlighted that a different station in Delhi recorded peak pollution every winter over the last years. "Shadipur, DTU, CRRI Mathura Road, JLN Stadium, Alipur, ITO and Rohini have occupied the worst peak pollution title in the last seven winters. These are spread across the city with no clear pattern. This indicates that the winter pollution is regional in nature and short-term peak build-up can happen anywhere based on local meteorology and pollution sources," the report read.

Delhi PM 2.5 pollution in winters has dipped 20 pc compared to pre-pandemic period: Report

The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and ”the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region”. The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. ”Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters,” the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted as compared to 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30 per cent improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. ”Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent),” the report said. Gurugram, with 11 per cent improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. The report also highlighted that a different station in Delhi recorded peak pollution every winter over the last years. ”Shadipur, DTU, CRRI Mathura Road, JLN Stadium, Alipur, ITO and Rohini have occupied the worst peak pollution title in the last seven winters. These are spread across the city with no clear pattern. This indicates that the winter pollution is regional in nature and short-term peak build-up can happen anywhere based on local meteorology and pollution sources,” the report read.

Can Delhi breathe easy this Diwali?

Delhi, the world’s most polluted city, is seeing a slight decline in pollution this year compared to pollution numbers pre-pandemic, a new study has found. The study probed pollution levels across seven consecutive pre-winters and winters and found a tiny dip in PM 2.5 concentration in Delhi’s air. The report, released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an India-based green think tank says PM 2.5 concentration levels, which used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre between October to February pre-pandemic, have come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then.

Concentrated stubble burning around Diwali may compound problem: CSE

Though Diwali this year will be observed during the “warmer part of the early winter”, concentrated stubble burning in Delhi’s neighbouring states may compound the problem, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Thursday. The air quality in Delhi-NCR starts worsening in October due to unfavourable meteorological factors such as low temperatures and wind speed, which do not allow dispersion of pollutants. A cocktail of emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning in neighbouring states further deplete the air quality. The CSE said Diwali this year is being observed early in the season “which means the warmer and windier conditions will help dilute the pollution that is staple of Diwali night celebrations”. Unlike previous two years, the smoke from the farm stubble fires has not overwhelmed the air quality of the region yet and rains in early October have also kept the air relatively clean so far. However, a prolonged spell of rains in early October has delayed paddy harvesting in parts of Punjab and Haryana that could lead to a spike in stubble burning incidents as farmers would be in a race against time to prepare their fields for the next crop. Remaining Time -1:07 Unibots.in “Previous years’ data shows that Diwali night can add 300-600 microgram per cubic metre of PM2.5 to Delhi’s air if the business-as-usual scenario continues,” it said. Emissions from firecrackers and farm fires last year had pushed the capital’s 24-hour average air quality index for the day after Diwali to 462, the highest in five years. “PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8pm to 8am) last year stood at 747 microgram per cubic metre, 22 per cent higher than that on the 2020 Diwali night,” the CSE said. The levels on 2021 Diwali night were 4.5 times the average night-time levels recorded in the week preceding Diwali. “It is noted that hourly concentrations can go beyond 1,000 microgram per cubic metre. In the 2021 Diwali, 26 of the 38 operational (air quality) monitoring stations hit the 1,000 microgram per cubic metre mark. In 2020, 23 out of 38 stations had hit the 1,000 microgram per cubic metre mark, while in 2019 the number stood at 22 stations,” the green think tank said. PTI GVS TDS TDS