NCR’s ‘High Five’: These Districts Are Worsening Delhi’s Air Quality and Winter Woes
With a change in wind direction, pollution from five districts in the national capital region (NCR) — Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Baghpat and Ghaziabad — is the highest contributor to deteriorating air quality in Delhi. The situation is expected to deteriorate over the next five days with increased biomass burning incidents predicted in the neighbouring paddy-growing states, as per the early warning forecasting model of the union ministry of earth sciences. While currently the contribution of fumes from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana to Delhi’s air is still low – 3.29% (as of Friday) — it is expected to go up to 10%-12% on the fifth day from now, the forecasting system has predicted, which is right after Diwali, when firecracker bursting, despite a blanket ban, is likely to add heavy fumes. With a change in wind direction, pollution from five districts in the national capital region (NCR) — Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Baghpat and Ghaziabad — is the highest contributor to deteriorating air quality in Delhi. The situation is expected to deteriorate over the next five days with increased biomass burning incidents predicted in the neighbouring paddy-growing states, as per the early warning forecasting model of the union ministry of earth sciences. While currently the contribution of fumes from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana to Delhi’s air is still low – 3.29% (as of Friday) — it is expected to go up to 10%-12% on the fifth day from now, the forecasting system has predicted, which is right after Diwali, when firecracker bursting, despite a blanket ban, is likely to add heavy fumes. Also, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had on Thursday warned of conditions turning ripe for a severe smog episode to begin from Diwali night.
