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Delhi Pollution: दिल्ली में दमघोंटू हुई हवा, एक्सपर्ट बोले- ये हेल्थ इमरजेंसी, गंभीर नहीं हुए तो बड़ा खतरा

Delhi Smog: पिछले कई दिनों से दिल्ली की हवा में 'जहर' घुला हुआ है, जिसकी वजह से लोगों को कई तरह की परेशानियों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है. हालांकि, एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स (AQI) में लगातार सुधार आ रहा है, लेकिन अब भी यह 'बहुत खराब' श्रेणी में बनी हुई है. इस बीच, ग्रीन थिंक-टैंक सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने कहा है कि स्मॉग ने दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) को प्रभावित किया है और अगले दो दिनों तक हालात के ऐसे ही रहने की आशंका है. दिल्ली में मौसमी धुंध काफी घनी है. अक्टूबर के मध्य से 8 नवंबर तक पराली दैनिक योगदान पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे कम रहा है. दिल्ली की इस स्थिति को लेकर एक्सपर्ट ने इसे इमरजेंसी करार दिया और तुरंत एक्शन लेने की जरूरत बताई. सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक (अनुसंधान और वकालत) अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा, "मौसम की प्रतिकूल स्थिति पराली जलाने और पटाखों की वजह से शुरू हुई है." सीएसई ने बताया कि पिछले चार सालों में स्मॉग की तुलना करें तो वर्तमान स्थिति साल 2018 और 2020 की स्थिति जैसी ही है. दोनों ही सालों में छह दिनों तक स्मॉग रहा था. इस साल अब तक स्मॉग की औसत तीव्रता 329 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर प्रति दिन है, जो कि 2020 स्मॉग (7 फीसदी) और 2019 स्मॉग (3 फीसदी) की तुलना में कम है. यह 2018 के स्मॉग (करीब 9 फीसदी) की तुलना में अधिक तीव्र है. न्यूज एजेंसी पीटीआई के अनुसार, सीएसई के अर्बन लैब के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर अविकल सोमवंशी ने बताया, ''पीएम 2.5 के बहुत अधिक स्तर ने ध्यान अपनी ओर खींचा है तो वहीं दोनों गैस CO और NO2 का स्तर ऊंचा बना हुआ है. साथ ही, दिवाली की रात में SO2 से NO2 के रेशिया में भी बढ़ोतरी हुई, जोकि पटाखों से बढ़ते पॉल्यूशन को दिखाता है. साल 2017 के बाद से दिवाली की रात (रात 8 बजे से सुबह 8 बजे तक) में PM2.5 की सघनता सबसे अधिक रही है."

क्या दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में आएगी कमी, पर्यावरण मंत्री ने खुले में कचरा जलाने के खिलाफ शुरू किया अभियान

दिल्ली के पर्यावरण मंत्री गोपाल राय ने बृहस्पतिवार को गाजीपुर लैंडफिल स्थल का निरीक्षण कर खुले में कचरे और जैव ईंधन को जलाने के खिलाफ एक महीना लंबा अभियान शुरू करते हुए पूर्वी दिल्ली नगर निगम (ईडीएमसी) के अधिकारियों को आग नियंत्रण योजना तैयार करने का निर्देश दिया। सरकार गाजीपुर लैंडफिल (कचरा निपटान स्थल) में ‘पुराने कचरे’ के संसाधित होने की ‘धीमी गति’ की समीक्षा करेगी। मंत्री ने कहा कि ढाई वर्ष में सिर्फ पांच फीसदी कचरे को संसाधित किया गया है। राय ने संवाददाताओं से कहा कि खुले में कचरे और जैव ईंधन को जलाने से रोकने के लिए अभियान की शुरुआत की गई है ताकि दिल्ली के भीतर के प्रदूषण के कारकों को कम किया जा सके। इस अभियान में डीपीसीसी, नगर निगम, राजस्व विभाग, दिल्ली विकास प्राधिकरण, विकास विभाग समेत कई विभाग शामिल हैं। मंत्री ने बताया कि कुल 550 गश्त टीमों को तैनात किया गया है, जिनमें से 246 को रात में तैनात किया जाएगा। उन्होंने बताया कि धूल के खिलाफ दूसरे चरण का अभियान 12 नवंबर से 12 दिसंबर तक चलेगा। राय ने कहा कि ईडीएमसी के अधिकारियों के गाजीपुर लैंडफिल स्थल पर आग को नियंत्रित करने की योजना तैयार करने के निर्देश दिए गए हैं क्योंकि यहां ‘कई दिनों तक आग लगी रहती है और वायु प्रदूषण होता रहता है।’ उन्होंने कहा कि दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति की हालिया रिपोर्ट के अनुसार ढाई साल में यहां केवल पांच प्रतिशत पुराने कचरे को संसाधित किया जा सका। मंत्री ने कहा कि इस दर से कार्य को पूरा करना मुश्किल है। ऐसा बताया गया कि इसे पूरा करने में 13 साल लगेंगे। यह बहुत धीमी गति है। इसके लिए ईडीएमसी को कार्य योजना तैयार करने की जरूरत है। राज्य सरकार भी इसके पीछे की वजह की समीक्षा करेगी। दिल्ली-राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में बृहस्पतिवार को प्रदूषण युक्त कोहरे की परत छाने से छठ पूजा के दौरान श्रद्धालुओं को सूर्य के दर्शन आंशिक रूप से ही हो पाए। शहर में मौसम संबंधी प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों के कारण एक बार फिर वायु गुणवत्ता ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में पहुंच गई। विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने कहा कि कोहरा एक सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य आपात स्थिति है। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक (अनुसंधान) अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा, ‘‘इस गंभीर स्थिति से निपटने के लिए उन मोर्चों पर तत्काल कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है, जिससे प्रदूषण अधिक फैलता है जैसे वाहनों से, कुछ उद्योगों से, अपशिष्ट जलाने से....। वहीं, भवन निर्माण, सड़क जैसे धूल फैलाने वाले स्रोतों पर तत्काल कार्रवाई करने की आवश्यकता है।’’

दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का स्तर आज: दिल्ली प्रदूषण पर ताजा खबर अद्यतन: दिल्ली मौसम समाचार अद्यतन आज: दिल्ली में नवंबर में प्रदूषण पर समाचार अद्यतन

ई दिल्ली: दिल्ली एनसीआर में सीजन का पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड शुरू हो गया है। यह अगले दो दिनों तक जारी रह सकता है। इस स्मॉग ने गंगा के मैदानी इलाकों को लगभग पूरी तरह से ढक लिया है। सीएसई ने राजधानी के पहले स्मॉग प्रकरण पर अपनी विश्लेषण रिपोर्ट जारी की है। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रायचौधुरी के मुताबिक राजधानी में पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड कई कारणों से हो रहा है. इसमें खराब मौसम की स्थिति, पराली और पटाखे जलाना शामिल है। हालांकि स्मॉग ने राजधानी को अपनी चपेट में ले लिया, लेकिन अक्टूबर के मध्य से 8 नवंबर तक पिछले चार वर्षों में स्टबल स्मॉग सबसे कम प्रभावित हुआ। लेकिन 7 नवंबर को पराली प्रदूषण 48 प्रतिशत तक पहुंच गया। दिवाली प्रदूषण रिकॉर्ड: प्रदूषण रहित दिवाली दिल्ली से फिर दूर, 6 साल में सबसे प्रदूषित 2021 की दिवाली सीएसई अर्बन लैब के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर अविकल सोमवंशी के मुताबिक राजधानी के पहले स्मॉग एपिसोड में जहां पीएम 2.5 का स्तर ऊंचा रहा, वहीं ओजोन, कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड और नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड का स्तर भी चिंताजनक बना रहा। दिवाली की रात आतिशबाजी के कारण सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड और नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड के स्तर में अचानक वृद्धि हुई थी। सीज़न का पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड 4 नवंबर को PM 2.5 का स्तर 250 mgcm पर पहुंच गया. यह 5 नवंबर को अपने अधिकतम स्तर पर पहुंच गया जब यह 501 मिलीग्राम सेमी तक पहुंच गया। इसके बाद यह कम हुआ और 8 नवंबर को 256 एमजीसीएम पर पहुंच गया। इसके बाद यह फिर से बढ़ने लगा और 9 नवंबर को यह 264 mgcm पर पहुंच गया। पिछले चार साल के पहले स्मॉग एपिसोड को देखें तो यह काफी हद तक 2018 और 2020 से मिलता-जुलता है। ये दोनों स्मॉग एपिसोड सात दिनों तक चले। सीएसई के मुताबिक, अगर हालात नहीं सुधरे तो यह 2019 का रिकॉर्ड तोड़ सकता है, जब पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड आठ दिनों तक चला था। Delhi Air Pollution News LIVE: दिल्ली में अब भी नहीं है घर से निकलने का रास्ता, प्रदूषण से मिली थोड़ी राहत इस बार पराली का धुंआ कम रहा इस साल मध्य अक्टूबर से 8 नवंबर तक प्रदूषण में पराली की हिस्सेदारी पिछले चार साल में सबसे कम रही है। अब तक औसतन पराली के धुएं ने राजधानी को प्रतिदिन 12 फीसदी तक प्रभावित किया है। जबकि 2020 में यह 17 फीसदी, 2019 में 14 फीसदी, 2018 में 16 फीसदी था. हालांकि इस बार पराली का पीक प्रदूषण अब तक 7 नवंबर को ही रहा है. यह 48 प्रतिशत था। यह एक दिन में दूसरा सबसे ज्यादा पराली प्रदूषण था। 5 नवंबर, 2018 को पराली प्रदूषण 58 प्रतिशत था। लेकिन 48 फीसदी पराली से होने वाले प्रदूषण के बावजूद राजधानी में उस दिन पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 265 एमजीसीएम था. दिवाली पर आतिशबाजी नहीं हुई और दिल्ली की हवा बेहद खराब श्रेणी में, ऐसा क्यों? स्मॉग में जहरीली गैसें इस स्मॉग एपिसोड में ओजोन का स्तर भी काफी ज्यादा था। कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड का स्तर भी तेजी से बढ़ा। सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड के स्तर में वृद्धि हुई थी लेकिन यह सुरक्षित सीमा के भीतर रही। एक समय में नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड का स्तर तेजी से बढ़ा और फिर पीएम 2.5 बढ़ने पर घटने लगा।

दिल्ली NCR में कोहरे का कहर, वायु गुणवत्ता ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में

दिल्ली में सुबह 10 बजे वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (एक्यूआई) 407 दर्ज किया गया. राष्ट्रीय राजधानी के 39 वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी केन्द्रों में से 33 में वायु गुणवत्ता ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में दर्ज की गई. नई दिल्ली: दिल्ली- राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में बृहस्पतिवार को प्रदूषण युक्त कोहरे की परत छाने से छठ पूजा के दौरान श्रद्धालुओं को सूर्य के दर्शन आंशिक रूप से ही हो पाए. शहर में मौसम संबंधी प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों के कारण एक बार फिर वायु गुणवत्ता ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में पहुंच गई. विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने कहा कि कोहरा एक सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य आपात स्थिति है. सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक (अनुसंधान) अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा, ‘इस गंभीर स्थिति से निपटने के लिए उन मोर्चों पर तत्काल कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है, जिससे प्रदूषण अधिक फैलता है जैसे वाहनों से, कुछ उद्योगों से, अपशिष्ट जलाने से….. वहीं, भवन निर्माण, सड़क जैसे धूल फैलाने वाले स्रोतों पर तत्काल कार्रवाई करने की आवश्यकता है.’ दिल्ली में सुबह 10 बजे वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (एक्यूआई) 407 दर्ज किया गया. राष्ट्रीय राजधानी के 39 वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी केन्द्रों में से 33 में वायु गुणवत्ता ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में दर्ज की गई. बुधवार को 24 घंटे का औसतन एक्यूआई 372 था. एक्यूआई सुबह 10 बजे गाजियाबाद में 454, ग्रेटर नोएडा में 404 और नोएडा में 426 था. एक्यूआई को शून्य और 50 के बीच ‘अच्छा’, 51 और 100 के बीच ‘संतोषजनक’, 101 और 200 के बीच ‘मध्यम’, 201 और 300 के बीच ‘खराब’, 301 और 400 के बीच ‘बहुत खराब’ और 401 और 500 के बीच ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में माना जाता है. अच्छी पत्रकारिता मायने रखती है, संकटकाल में तो और भी अधिक दिप्रिंट आपके लिए ले कर आता है कहानियां जो आपको पढ़नी चाहिए, वो भी वहां से जहां वे हो रही हैं हम इसे तभी जारी रख सकते हैं अगर आप हमारी रिपोर्टिंग, लेखन और तस्वीरों के लिए हमारा सहयोग करें. अभी सब्सक्राइब करें भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग (आईएमडी) के एक अधिकारी ने बताया कि सुबह के समय हल्के कोहरे के साथ ही तापमान में गिरावट दर्ज की गई. दिल्ली में बृहस्पतिवार सुबह न्यूनतम तापमान 12.6 डिग्री सेल्सियस दर्ज किया गया, जो इस मौसम का अभी तक का सबसे कम तापमान है. उन्होंने बताया कि इंदिरा गांधी अंतरराष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डे और सफदरजंग हवाई अड्डे पर दृश्यता में 600 से 800 मीटर तक गिरावट दर्ज की गई. सीएसई ने कहा कि दिल्ली-एनसीआर में मौजूदा कोहरे का कहर अगले दो-तीन तक जारी रह सकता है.

Thick haze envelopes New Delhi as air quality worsens; mercury dips to 12.6°C

The air quality was expected to remain “severe” through the day and on Friday amid a likely increase in emissions from stubble burning, calm wind conditions, and a drop in temperature A thick haze enveloped New Delhi on Thursday as the air quality deteriorated from the higher end of the “very poor” category on Wednesday to the “severe” category again. An Air Quality Index (AQI) of 402, which is “severe”, was recorded at 8am. It was 372, which is “very poor“, on Wednesday at 4pm. The air quality was expected to remain “severe” through the day and on Friday amid a likely increase in emissions from stubble burning, calm wind conditions as well as a drop in temperature, which can trap pollutants. At 12.6 degrees Celsius, Thursday morning was the coldest of the season with the mercury falling below the 13-degree mark for the first time. The lowest minimum temperature at Safdarjung, Delhi’s base station, was 13.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The minimum temperature is forecast to drop to 11 degrees Celsius by November 16. “Cold northwesterly winds will continue to bring down the minimum in the coming days,” said a meteorological department official. An AQI between 201 and 300 is categorised as “poor”, between 301 and 400 “very poor” and over 400 is “severe”. At 8am, at least 21 air quality monitoring stations were in the severe range, with Anand Vihar the worst (453). According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), transport-level winds carrying stubble emissions from northwest of Delhi were expected to pick up speed from Thursday onwards for the next 48 hours. There was a spike in farm fires in the northern plains on Wednesday – 5,317 compared to 3,476 on Tuesday. The share of farm fires in the pollution was the same on both days at 27%. This share is now expected to increase on Thursday and Friday. Gufran Beig, founder and project director at Safar, said local wind speed, which was hovering between 8-10 km/hr, was also expected to drop. “A combination of strong transport-level winds, along with calm wind speed over Delhi is likely to see ‘severe’ air again. If the farm fires remain the same, the share of stubble burning will start increasing again from Thursday as winds from Punjab and Haryana will pick up. Meanwhile, Delhi will see calm wind conditions and this can trap these pollutants locally,” he said. A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) analysis on Wednesday found the current smog episode is expected to last another two days. It matches the first smog episodes of 2018 and 2020 – each of which lasted six days. “While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases – ozone, CO or NO2 -- have also remained elevated during this smog episode,” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE, on Wednesday. Somvanshi added that if conditions do not improve, this episode is likely to overtake the 2019 smog episode, which lasted eight days.

Smog cover over Delhi-NCR; air quality severe amid unhelpful meteorological conditions

New Delhi, Nov 11 (PTI) A layer of smog shrouded Delhi-NCR on Thursday and partially blotted out the sun on Chhath Puja as the air quality slipped back into the severe zone with unfavourable meteorological conditions aiding accumulation of pollutants, authorities said. Green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the ongoing smog episode is a public health emergency. "This requires urgent emergency action on key combustion sources (vehicles, industry, waste burning) and dust sources (construction and roads) to prevent further trapping of pollution when there is no wind to blow this away," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. At 10 am, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 407. Thirty-three of the 39 air quality monitoring stations in the national capital recorded air pollution levels in the severe category. The 24-hour average AQI was 372 on Wednesday. Ghaziabad (454), Greater Noida (404) and Noida (426) also recorded severe air quality at 10 am. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". An official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said shallow fog and low temperatures in the morning -- Delhi recorded the season's lowest temperature of 12.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday -- trapped pollutants close to the ground and calm winds led to stagnant conditions. Visibility levels at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Safdarjung Airport dropped to 600-800 metres, he added. The CSE said the current severe smog episode in Delhi-NCR is expected to last for two more days. It also said the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 was the lowest in four years. "Compared to the first smog episode of the previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season -- both lasted six days. If conditions do not improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days," the CSE said. The longer duration of this year's smog despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to a lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said. On an average, the contribution of smoke to Delhi's daily PM2.5 from the middle of October to November 8 was the lowest in the last four years. "So far, it has recorded an average of 12 per cent (farm fire share) per day in contrast to 17 per cent per day in 2020, 14 per cent per day in 2019 and 16 per cent per day in 2018 (as reported by SAFAR)," the CSE said. The share of farm fires in Delhi's pollution rose to 48 per cent on Sunday, the highest since November 5, 2018, when it was recorded at 58 per cent. Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution had peaked at 42 per cent on November 5. In 2019, crop residue burning accounted for 44 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on November 1.

Smog blanket over Delhi; “Serious” air quality because weather conditions favor pollutants

A layer of smog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Thursday and partially obscured the sun over Chhath Puja as air quality fell back into the harsh area with adverse weather conditions favoring the build-up of pollutants, authorities said. The green think tank Center for Science and Environment (CSE) has declared the ongoing smog episode a public health emergency. “This requires urgent emergency action on the main sources of combustion (vehicles, industry, waste combustion) and sources of dust (construction and roads) to prevent further trapping of pollution when there is no wind to drive it away, ”said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, CSE. At 10 a.m., Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 407. Thirty-three of the 39 air quality monitoring stations in the nation’s capital recorded levels of air pollution in the serious category.

Delhi pollution: Gopal Rai kicks off campaign against open burning of waste |

NEW DELHI: Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday kicked off a month-long campaign against open burning of waste and biomass with an inspection of the Ghazipur landfill, and directed EDMC officials to prepare a fire control plan. The government will review the reasons behind the “slow rate” of biomining of legacy waste at the Ghazipur landfill, the minister said, adding that only five per cent of it has been processed in two and a half years. “We have launched a campaign to prevent open burning of waste and biomass to cut down on pollution generated within Delhi. Ten departments – DPCC, municipal corporations, revenue department, Delhi Development Authority, Development Department, DSIIDC, I & FC Department and Cantonment Board – are involved in the campaign,” Rai told reporters here. The minister said 550 patrol teams have been formed, of which 246 will be deployed at night. The second phase of the anti-dust campaign will be run from November 12 to December 12, he said. Rai said he has directed officials of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to prepare a plan to control fires at the Ghazipur landfill which “keep on burning for days and pollute the air”. He said according to a recent report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, only five per cent of the legacy waste at the Ghazipur landfill has been processed in two and a half years. “It seems difficult to accomplish the task at this rate. They are saying it will take 13 years. The progress is very poor. The EDMC needs to prepare a proper action plan… The city government will also review the reason behind the delay,” Rai said. On Thursday, a thick layer of smog shrouded Delhi-NCR and partially blotted out the sun on Chhath Puja as the air quality slipped back into the ‘severe’ zone, with unfavourable meteorological conditions aiding accumulation of pollutants, authorities said. Green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said the ongoing smog episode is a public health emergency. “This requires urgent emergency action on key combustion sources (vehicles, industry, waste burning) and dust sources (construction and roads) to prevent further trapping of pollution when there is no wind to blow this away,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. At 2 pm, Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 407. Thirty-three of the 39 air quality monitoring stations in the national capital recorded air pollution levels in the ‘severe’ category. The 24-hour average AQI was 372 on Wednesday. Ghaziabad (455), Greater Noida (407) and Noida (429) also recorded severe air quality at 10 am. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. An official from the India Meteorological Department said shallow fog and low temperature – Delhi recorded the season’s lowest minimum of 12.6 degrees Celsius – in the morning trapped pollutants close to the ground and calm winds led to stagnant conditions. Visibility levels at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Safdarjung airport dropped to 600-800 metres, he said. The CSE said the current severe smog episode in Delhi-NCR is expected to last another two days.

First severe smog hits Delhi, nation’s capital could experience longest season since 2017: report

This year could be the worst smog episode for Delhi and its neighboring regions, warns the green think tank Center for Science and Environment (CSE). Smog is expected to last another two days in Delhi-NCR areas, according to the Green Think Tank. This means that the first episode of severe smog in Delhi could be the longest in four years. According to Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at CSE, the first smog episode of the season was triggered by the combined effect of inclement weather, stubble burning and firecrackers.

First severe smog hits Delhi, nation’s capital could experience longest season since 2017: report

This year could be the worst smog episode for Delhi and its neighboring regions, warns the green think tank Center for Science and Environment (CSE). Smog is expected to last another two days in Delhi-NCR areas, according to the Green Think Tank. This means that the first episode of severe smog in Delhi could be the longest in four years. According to Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at the CSE, the first smog episode of the season was triggered by the combined effect of inclement weather, stubble burning and firecrackers. On the other hand, CSE data indicates that the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires has been the lowest over the past four years during the period from mid-October to November 8. The maximum contribution of smoke to Delhi’s particulate level was recorded. on November 7 where it reached 48%. The green think tank says this year’s first smog episode has already lasted six days, matching that of 2018 and 2020. However, that could increase further if conditions do not improve and could even surpass the 2019 record by eight days. The average smog intensity this year so far is 329 micrograms per cubic meter per day. This figure is 7% lower than the 2020 smog figure and 3% lower than the 2019 smog figure. However, it is more intense than the 2018 smog figure by about 9%.

On Delhi’s Toxic River, Prayers to a Sun Struggling to Shine Through Smog

Every year, a four-day festival to the sun god Surya highlights the Indian city’s extreme air and water pollution, with a river so filled with foam it resembles a blizzard’s aftermath. NEW DELHI — As the worshipers descended the slope to the riverbank, dressed in their festival best and carrying offerings, a voice on the loudspeaker repeated: “The water is deep, don’t let go of your child’s hand, don’t let them in the water.” It was a much needed warning for the thousands of families in attendance for the four-day Hindu festival of Chhath that ended on Thursday, a celebration of the sun deity Surya that involves fasting and making offerings while standing in water. They needed the warning because the river’s water was, in fact, barely visible, blanketed with a toxic foam of industrial waste and sewage. If you didn’t know better, you could mistake it for the morning after a night of heavy snowfall. Many worshipers in northern India celebrate the festival at the Yamuna River, a religiously significant tributary of the Ganges that runs through the capital city of New Delhi. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Every year, the festival season of November brings unwelcome reminders of how devastatingly polluted the water and air around the city remain. The Yamuna, one of the main sources of water for Delhi, is so overwhelmed by waste in the 13-mile stretch that cuts through the city that it is highly unsafe for bathing or irrigation. But the Yamuna’s decades-old problem of pollution gained new prominence in embarrassing fashion this week when the local administration in Delhi tried to scrape together a last minute cleanup at the festival site. It sent out boats to try to sweep away the foam, laid down bamboo barricades to stop it from spreading and even deployed workers with hoses to sprinkle the river with clean water. “What are you doing?” a reporter asked a Delhi government worker in a video. “I am spraying water to kill the foam,” he said. Yet, none of these shambolic efforts seemed to dent the spirits of the worshipers as they thronged by the thousands to the riverbank — not the foam below, the smog above or the Delhi government’s warnings that the coronavirus that wreaked havoc in the city earlier this year was still a threat. Their explanation: What’s a little foam in the face of faith? The families arrived in taxis, traditional sugar cane offerings jutting out the windows, and they got there packed in the backs of tractor wagons and large trucks. They came in bright saris and in shiny suits. Many walked barefoot, and some carried their own sound systems — with a car battery for power. “I am not worried,” said Kiran Devi, who had not eaten in three days and would break her fast only when the festival ended with the final prayer. “Once I go in the water, it will be fine.” Some cleared the foam with their hands, pushing it away to create a little space for their prayers. Others used sticks. The foul odors were inescapable. Ms. Devi arrived for sunset on Wednesday, and her extended family of 10 would spend the night by the riverbank to wait for the sunrise worship that is the festival’s culminating event. The women, who made up the majority of those fasting, arranged the baskets of offerings with bananas, coconuts and radishes, and filled the diya lights, small clay lamps, with ghee before lighting them. The men mostly lingered and chatted. Her brother-in-law, Sonu Prasad, 36, who sells buttons, said he knows what contributes to the pollution of the river: “When I shower, it goes into a small canal, then a big canal, then it goes into the river,” he said. “It’s a sewer,” Ms. Devi’s husband and Sonu’s older brother, Ravi Shankar Gupta, said. “But the sun deity says: ‘Even if you stand in a gutter and make an offering, I will protect you for the rest of the year.’” “It would be great if they improve it, but even if they don’t, what can we do?” Mr. Gupta added, pointing to the infighting over the pollution between the states that the river flows through. “We will still live, and enjoy life.” The Yamuna forms the boundary between Delhi and the state of Uttar Pradesh, a circumstance that has complicated the already tortured process of cleaning it up. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in recent decades, to little effect. Less than half of the roughly 16 billion gallons of daily sewage in India’s urban centers is treated, according to government figures, and much of the rest pollutes the country’s rivers. New Delhi, overwhelmed by a growing population, treats about two-thirds of its sewage. But hundreds of millions of gallons are still dumped into the Yamuna untreated, along with untreated industrial waste, in its slog through the city. Delhi gets a good portion of its drinking water from the Yamuna, which enters the city limits relatively clean. After that, the river is pummeled with wastes. “We extract everything and in return we give back the sewage only,” said Sushmita Sengupta, a geologist and senior program manager at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. One of the reasons the authorities for decades have failed to address the problem of river pollution is bureaucratic red tape and “the multiplicity of agencies” involved, said Avinash Mishra, a top adviser on water and land resources to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It’s become a volleyball,” Mr. Mishra said. He warned that the country’s water woes, if not tackled with urgency, could have dire ramifications for an already slowing economy. “The moment the water is contaminated, there is water shortage, which impacts human working days,” he said. “It generates so many waterborne diseases that it will impact your services, your industries, urbanization and the living standards of your population.” Undeterred by such considerations, the worshipers thronged to the river for the sunset on Wednesday, many of them staying the night on the riverbank to catch the sunrise the next morning.

First Severe Smog Episode Hits Delhi, Could Be Longest In 4 Years: Report

Green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment said the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in last four years. All India The first severe smog episode has hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and is expected to last for another two days, green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. Even though the seasonal smog in Delhi is intense, the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in last four years, it said. "Predictably, the season's first episode has been triggered by the combined effect of unfavourable weather conditions (cool and calm winds and inversion), stubble burning and firecrackers," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season -- both lasted six days. If conditions don't improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days, the CSE said. The average intensity of the smog this year so far is 329 microgram per cubic metre per day, which is lower than that of the 2020 smog (by 7 per cent) and 2019 smog (by 3 per cent). It is more intense than the 2018 smog (about 9 per cent). Lingering on of this year's smog for longer duration despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said. "While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases - ozone, CO or NO2 -- have remained elevated during this smog episode. Also, the ratio of SO2 to NO2 increased on Diwali night indicating increased pollution load from firecrackers. The PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8 pm to 8 am) has been the most intense since 2017," said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR and the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain. "On an average, contribution of smoke to Delhi's daily PM2.5 during middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in the last four years. So far, it has recorded on an average 12 per cent per day in contrast to 17 per cent per day in 2020, 14 per cent per day in 2019, and 16 per cent per day in 2018 (as reported by SAFAR)," the CSE said. "If converted to absolute concentrations, the per day contribution of smoke stood at 26 microgram per cubic metre this year so far compared to 35 microgram per cubic metre in 2020, 40 microgram per cubic metre in 2019, and 31 microgram per cubic metre in 2018," it said. However, the peak contribution of smoke to Delhi's PM level was recorded on 7th November when it hit 48 per cent. This the second highest daily contribution percentage recorded since such estimation was started by SAFAR in 2018. Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com The highest single day contribution percentage has been 58 per cent recorded on November 5, 2018.

Delhi-NCR in grip of season's first smog episode, likely to be longest in 4 years: Study

The first severe smog episode has hit Delhi-NCR and is expected to last for another two days, green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. The first severe smog episode has hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and is expected to last for another two days, green think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. VDO.AI Even though the seasonal smog in Delhi is intense, the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in last four years, it said. “Predictably, the season's first episode has been triggered by the combined effect of unfavourable weather conditions (cool and calm winds and inversion), stubble burning and firecrackers,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current smog has matched the duration of the first smog of 2018 and 2020 season -- both lasted six days. If conditions don't improve, it might overtake the 2019 smog that lasted eight days, the CSE said. he average intensity of the smog this year so far is 329 microgram per cubic metre per day, which is lower than that of the 2020 smog (by 7 per cent) and 2019 smog (by 3 per cent). It is more intense than the 2018 smog (about 9 per cent). Lingering on of this year's smog for longer duration despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures in the city, the green think tank said. While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases ozone, CO or NO2 -- have remained elevated during this smog episode. Also, the ratio of SO2 to NO2 increased on Diwali night indicating increased pollution load from firecrackers. The PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8 pm to 8 am) has been the most intense since 2017," said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR and the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain. “On an average, contribution of smoke to Delhi's daily PM2.5 during middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in the last four years. So far, it has recorded on an average 12 per cent per day in contrast to 17 per cent per day in 2020, 14 per cent per day in 2019, and 16 per cent per day in 2018 (as reported by SAFAR),” the CSE said. “If converted to absolute concentrations, the per day contribution of smoke stood at 26 microgram per cubic metre this year so far compared to 35 microgram per cubic metre in 2020, 40 microgram per cubic metre in 2019, and 31 microgram per cubic metre in 2018,” it said. However, the peak contribution of smoke to Delhi's PM level was recorded on 7th November when it hit 48 per cent. This the second highest daily contribution percentage recorded since such estimation was started by SAFAR in 2018. The highest single day contribution percentage has been 58 per cent recorded on November 5, 2018. “The ongoing smog episode is a public health emergency. This requires urgent emergency action on key combustion sources (vehicles, industry, waste burning) and dust sources (construction and roads) to prevent further trapping of pollution when there is no wind to blow this away. We need pollution-source-wise and hotspot-wise status of action,” Roychowdhury said.

Severe smog may last 2 more days

New Delhi: With the first severe smog episode hitting Delhi-NCR, an analysis done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says it is expected to last another two days. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE, said, “The season’s first smog episode has been triggered by the combined effect of unfavourable weather conditions (cool and calm winds and inversion), stubble burning and firecrackers. Though the seasonal smog is intense, the average daily contribution of smoke from farm fires from the middle of October to November 8 has been the lowest in the last four years. Its contribution peaked and reached 48% on November 7. It is still elevated.” The analysis said average intensity of the smog so far was 329 ug/m3 per day, which was lower than 2020 by 7% and 2019 by 3%. It was more intense than the 2018 smog by about 9%. “Lingering on of smog for a longer duration this year despite relatively windier local conditions might be due to the lack of pollution control measures,” it added. Ozone levels continued to breach the standards at hotspots even during the peak smog episodes. Levels were higher pre- and post-peak smog days. CO was also found to be exceeding the standard. SO2 levels mimicked the trend of PM2.5, but didn’t breach the standard. NO2 bucked the trend and was seen to drop in concentrations when PM2.5 peaked. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE, said, “While very high concentrations of PM2.5 have hogged attention, the levels of gases — ozone, CO or NO2 — have remained elevated during this smog episode. Also, the ratio of SO2 to NO2 increased on Diwali night, indicating increased pollution load from firecrackers. The PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8pm to 8am) was the most intense since 2017.”

COP architects furious at lack of climate justice at pivotal summit

Scientists who worked on the original UN climate convention doubt that COP26 will deliver for low income countries. Researchers who helped to draft parts of the first United Nations environmental agreements nearly 30 years ago say that that low income countries are being massively let down in the current COP26 climate talks. The 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was attended by scientists and policymakers from rich and poor countries. “I was so hopeful,” says ecologist Zakri Abdul Hamid, who was the scientific adviser to Malaysia’s delegation, as he recalls how he “morphed from a straight-laced young academic” to a scientific policymaker. “I had high hopes in Rio,” adds Saleemul Huq, a climate scientist from Bangladesh who was an adviser to climate-vulnerable countries attending Rio. COP26 climate pledges: What scientists think so far The summit led to UN agreements to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, and a new UN focus on sustainable development. But Zakri now thinks he was “naive” to expect wealthy nations to keep their promises to protect the interests of poorer countries. As the second week of negotiations at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) gets under way in Glasgow, UK, low-income nations are deeply critical about the slow pace of decarbonization, and say that pledges to deliver funding have not been honoured. Landmark agreement Rio was a significant meeting because policymakers from rich and poor countries settled on what seemed to be an equitable formula to protect the environment from the worst effects of industrialization. The ideas that led to the summit had largely come from high-income countries. Lower income nations were concerned that a climate-change or biodiversity agreement would prevent them from building their own industries and modern infrastructure. In response, richer countries agreed to take on the burden of decarbonizing and reducing biodiversity loss, while giving poorer countries more time to industrialize. But they have not done this, says Zakri, who went on to chair the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. In a report published ahead of COP26, researchers at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in New Delhi worked out that between 1990 and 2019, the highest-income countries were responsible for two-thirds of greenhouse-gas emissions. Wealthy nations also failed to abide by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, an international law to reduce emissions by an average of 5% from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting From the early 1990s onwards, ‘contraction and convergence’ gained popularity as a way to boost equity. The idea was that high- and low-income countries would both decarbonize, but at different rates — with richer countries cutting emissions more quickly (‘contraction’) — until emissions from the two groups converged on the same per-capita level. The idea soon attracted influential policymakers from both high- and low-income countries, including China and the United States, as well as from UN agencies. “It offended no-one; it united everyone. It is equitable. It is inclusive,” says the idea’s principal architect, Aubrey Meyer at the Global Commons Institute in London. But this support for the concept failed to translate into meaningful action. “Today, 30 years later at COP26, most environmental problems have worsened,” says Zakri, and richer nations have not been held to account. Sunita Narain is director-general of the CSE and co-authored its report with climate-policy specialist Avantika Goswami. Narain says the 2015 Paris climate deal — the agreement to limit global warming to below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels — has ended up weakening commitments to equity. Since the agreement was signed, lower-income countries are also expected to start to reduce their emissions. Yet these countries produce a fraction of the greenhouse gases of the big emitters, she says. “The reality is that Paris has not given us the space to grow,” says Narain, who was at the Rio summit representing CSE. She worries that pledges from the large emitters to achieve net-zero emissions by or after 2050 will enable richer countries to “continue to take more of the carbon budget”, unless strict interim targets are enforced. Funding failure The Rio veterans are also furious about broken promises on climate finance. The 1992 deal stipulated that richer countries would provide funding to protect climate-vulnerable countries from the effects of global warming, and to help them to develop new technologies. The broken $100-billion promise of climate finance – and how to fix it A $1 billion fund called the Global Environment Facility was established, and this would be followed by other modest climate funding pots. At COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, richer nations agreed on a more realistic figure that would match the needs of low and middle income countries: they promised to provide US$100 billion a year from 2020 to 2025. The 2020 target was missed, and more than two-thirds of the funding that has been given is in the form of loans, not the “new and additional finance” that was expected after Rio, says Tariq Banuri, a former director of sustainable development at the UN in New York, who represented Pakistan at the 1992 Earth Summit. Banuri says the COP negotiation process that he, Huq, Zakri, Narain and others helped to create is now not much more than “institutional therapy” for the richer countries. “They are engaging in a failed process to reassure themselves that they are doing something. I am very pessimistic about the COP,” he says. At the same time, there’s a consensus that hope must not die.Large numbers of scientists and young people from science, activism and policy are present for the COP in Glasgow. “They must continue to speak truth to power,” Narain says. Huq, who founded the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Dhaka, says countries must continue to work through the UN, collaboratively, to get justice. “The United Nations is the closest thing the world has to a global governance body,” he says. “We have to persevere with it, even though it isn’t really delivering.”