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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.”

Why biomass burning needs to be taken head on

New Delhi: Over 630 complaints regarding open biomass burning were addressed by the agencies concerned in the past 12 days. Data compiled by the environment department shows that during the same period, over 1,000 challans were issued to violators for open burning of biomass, garbage and garden or plastic waste. Around 34,486 metric tonnes of biomass/garbage and 10,026 tonnes of plastic waste were collected between October 29 and November 8. As Delhi government begins a campaign against open biomass burning on Thursday, experts said such incidents increased during winter and it was one of the major sources of pollution in the city. A study conducted by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), which showed the PM2.5 contribution of various sectors to Delhi’s air in winter 2020, stated that emissions from waste burning contributed 8.7% to Delhi’s PM2.5 between October 15 and November 15, 2020. The share of waste burning rose to 10% from November 15 to December 15, 2020 and 9.2% between December 15 and January 15, 2021. Tanushree Ganguly, programme lead, CEEW, said, “Our analysis suggests that biomass burning for heating constitutes a significant share of Delhi’s pollution burden between mid-November to mid-January.” “The Graded Response Action Plan already requires RWAs and individual home owners to provide electric heaters to security staff. Efforts should be made to understand why night shelters that could cater to the homeless run at low occupancy during winters,” added Ganguly. Anju Goel, fellow, earth science and climate change, The Energy and Resources Institute, said, “Biomass is used for cooking or for heating. A Teri study conducted in 2016 said 1.2 lakh households in Delhi-NCR used biomass for cooking. The authorities should ensure an adequate supply of cleaner fuels to reduce the use of biomass for cooking.” According to the Decision Support System developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune to forecast the sources of local and regional pollution, the contribution of waste burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 was around 2-3% for the next four days. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “The authorities should strengthen municipal services with focus on 100% collection, segregation and recycling of waste.”

Govt. sprays water, uses boats to clear froth in Yamuna

The Delhi Government, to remove the froth in the Yamuna, sprayed water, used boats and rope to drag it away, and even directed its staff to beat it with sticks on Wednesday. A Government official said the decision was taken at a meeting held earlier this week and many departments were involved in the implementation. Experts, however, said it is not even a temporary solution as removing froth does not improve the quality of water. “This is desperation at its worst. The quality of water does not change even temporarily by removing or breaking up the froth. The Government is just managing the optics. This is a comedy of errors and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” said Manoj Misra, convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, a civil society initiative for the river’s rejuvenation. Mr. Misra said frothing happens every year in Delhi and he has been seeing this for about 15 years. “Frothing happens in rivers and drains in other cities too. It is just getting more highlighted in Delhi. The high phosphate content in detergents can majorly cause it,” he said. He further said that it is the river water that is actually toxic. “The froth is not toxic, but the water is. If you come into contact with the froth, it can only cause skin irritation. But there could be problems if you ingest the froth,” he said. Suresh Kumar Rohilla, director of water programme, Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi, said, “This is a temporary solution and it will look good, but it doesn’t address the core issue of cleaning the Yamuna, which we are far away from.” “I think the Government thought that people would go and take a dip in the Yamuna on Chhath Puja and there would be photos of it and it wanted to prevent that. The Yamuna is a sewage canal after the Wazirabad barrage (upstream of Okhla),” he said. Mr. Rohilla said frothing is caused at this time of the year because almost all of the river water is taken for the city’s needs and not much is left and this increases the concentration of pollutants. Under these conditions, chemicals such as surfactants and phosphates, may be even others, cause frothing, he added. Frothing happened mainly near Okhla barrage on Wednesday. At Kalindi Kunj, the Government erected bamboo structures close to the riverbank to separate the froth. The issue has turned political with the BJP attacking the AAP Government over the Yamuna being polluted.

Delhi pollution: AQI improves to enter very poor zone

According to experts, though local meteorological conditions largely remained the same, a slight drop in the speed of wind that is bringing stubble emissions to Delhi has led to this slight improvement in the last 24 hours Delhi’s air quality improved marginally to reach the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday as the capital recorded an overall air quality index (AQI) of 372 – a drop from Tuesday’s 404, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. According to experts, though local meteorological conditions largely remained the same, a slight drop in the speed of wind that is bringing stubble emissions to Delhi has led to this slight improvement in the last 24 hours. Forecasts on Wednesday showed transport-level winds will once again pick up from Thursday onwards, with two days of ‘severe’ air a possibility once again. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), winds that transport stubble emissions from Punjab and Haryana to Delhi, are expected to pick up again over the next two days. This likely to deteriorate over the next two days. Though the number of farm fire incidents went up to 5,317 on Wednesday from 3,476 on Tuesday, their share in the overall pollution mix of Delhi stayed at 27%. Gufran Beig, founder and project director at Safar, says 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 speed. Meanwhile, Delhi will see calm wind conditions, which will help trap pollutants over the city,” he said. In an analysis done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Wednesday, the body said this smog episode is expected to last another two days, with it already matching 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,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE, adding that if conditions do not improve, this smog episode is likely to overtake the 2019 smog episode, which lasted eight days. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 13.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, the lowest so far this season. It was 13.5 degrees on Tuesday. “A gradual drop in minimum temperature is expected over the next seven days, touching 11 degrees Celsius by November 16,” a met official said.

Delhi in grip of season's 1st smog episode, could be longest in 4 yrs: Report

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 New Delhi: 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.

Delhi-NCR Gripped by Season’s First Smog Episode, Could be Longest in 4 Years: CSE Report

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 New Delhi: Raising major concerns about the overall health and well-being of residents, 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. 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.Also Read - Nehru Place Should Not Become A Slum: Delhi HC Directs SDMC to Give Suggestions on Squatters Management Compared to the first smog episode of previous four years, the current one 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). Also Read - IRCTC Latest News: Ranchi Rajdhani Route Changed From Tomorrow | Check Stoppage, and Other Details As predicted, 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, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE was quoted as saying. 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 CSE added. Also Read - Bank Holiday Alert: Banks to Remain Shut Tomorrow For Chhath Puja in These Cities | Complete List Here “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. More points to know for this big story on air pollution in Delhi-NCR this year: 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..

While negotiators wrangle at COP26, South Asia chokes in toxic air

Air pollution is a cross-border problem in the northern plains of South Asia that needs to be tackled through regional cooperation, but political will is missing. As delegates from around the world engage in negotiations at COP26, South Asia is shrouded in a thick pall of air pollution. Few other examples show the distance between global ambitions and local challenges so starkly, with a lack of regional cooperation on environmental issues sabotaging chances of progress. In New Delhi, the annual additional pollution brought on by fireworks let off on Diwali, the festival of lights, drove the pollution to dangerous heights last week. But while India’s capital garners the most attention, the problem is wider and deeper in scope. A vast landlocked area from northwest Pakistan through north India all the way to Bangladesh suffers, partly because of geography. For much of the year, warm air rises, taking pollution from the plains with it. But in winter, air cools quickly near the Earth’s surface in low-lying areas surrounded by the higher, colder ranges of the Himalayas. The conditions, called winter inversion, trap cold air near the ground, where it stagnates. As pollutants released by industry, construction and transportation cannot circulate, the air becomes toxic across the region. Local authorities have reacted spasmodically to the crisis. In the cities of Pakistan, there are attempts to restrict the burning of waste and leaves, and shut down brick kilns. Air quality is unhealthy in all the country’s big cities, particularly in the area between the Jhelum and Sutlej rivers, which includes the cities of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala. In India in recent years, the national capital region has adopted a ‘Graded Response Action Plan’, which kicks in when air quality drops below critical thresholds. Kathmandu and New Delhi, along with its satellite cities, have even declared health emergencies in the past few years, shutting schools and institutions, and issuing alerts. Piecemeal action on South Asia’s toxic air However, most efforts to control the severe air pollution in South Asia have been piecemeal, with little or no coordinated action. The problem is pervasive, across provincial and national borders in one of the most densely populated regions of the planet, with multiple cities and innumerable human habitations affected. The extent of the problem overpowers and undermines local action, increasing the vulnerability of the people, experts told The Third Pole. “Managing air quality to keep it below health thresholds requires detailed understanding of when and how pollutants flow across borders and have impacts across borders, as well as regionally coordinated temporary emissions reductions,” said atmospheric scientist Arnico Panday, formerly of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and advisor to Nepal’s planning commission. “This needs regional modelling, access to data from across the region, and a willingness to cut down domestic emissions in order to reduce the impacts across the border.” “The overarching goal of reducing emissions in the region must follow a coordinated approach,” said Dawar Butt, an air quality expert in Pakistan. Within countries, there are multiple policy dimensions, at the state or provincial level, which — because of their devolved nature — require piecemeal or contextualised interventions, he said. These include industrial estate regulations, thermal power emission standards, petroleum quality standards, vehicle engine specifications, among others. Initially at least, a “non-binding, trust-based cooperation needs to take place at the multilateral level, which agrees on regional goals, and the federal governments then work towards leading the provinces in designing mid- to long-term action plans, which further implement them,” Butt said. Satellite images and emerging scientific evidence show pollution builds up across airsheds that span India and South Asia, said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based advocacy group. India needs a regulatory regional framework for air quality management to control the transboundary and upwind and downwind effects of the regional flow of pollutants across states, Roychowdhury said. “When the entire region is covered in a blanket of smog, not only the big cities but also the small urban centres are affected,” she said. “This shows that massive clean-up is needed across the region.” Air pollution in South Asia a transboundary problem The nature of air pollution in South Asia at this time of the year has particular location-specific dimensions. For example, Kathmandu’s air quality is “strongly affected by outside sources, such as farm residue burning, which can cut down visibility to 2-3 km, compared with sparkling-clear mountain views on days when only local sources are present”, Panday said. When the entire region is covered in a blanket of smog, not only the big cities but also the small urban centres are affected. This shows that massive clean-up is needed across the region. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment A World Bank assessment published in November 2020 identified several critical airsheds with high PM2.5 concentrations in South Asia. These include the west-central Indo-Gangetic plain that extends into Pakistan and the central-east Indo-Gangetic plain that extends into Nepal and Bangladesh. At the policy level, traditional legal approaches remain confined within the boundaries of state, city, or municipal areas, which are simply not enough, experts said, especially when it comes to the seasonal problem of crop stubble burning in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in India and Punjab province in Pakistan, which adds to the pollution load significantly in October and November. Butt said part of the problem is self-inflicted. “There is a market for stubble in the Pothohar [north Punjab] plateau region of Pakistan,” he said. “Similarly, the stubble can be used in the cottage industry, as well as biofuel manufacture. If we can assign the right pricing for the value of stubble, it may be enough to pay for its own clearing.” In India, biochemical interventions in the rural areas of Delhi have restricted the practice of burning, and a market is emerging for compacted stubble as biofuel in Punjab and Haryana. However, a lack of coordination among the affected states has hamstrung the efforts. The science of airshed management also needs to evolve. It has to “develop further to understand the upwind and downwind movement of air and subsequent effect of pollution in the region,” Roychowdhury said. Only then we can hope to “build a regional framework for air pollution control”. There is a need to “strengthen regional institutions such as ICIMOD [the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development] and SAARC [the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation] and empower them to be the voice of science”, added Panday. That is easier said than done. What are the real chances of cross-border regional cooperation to tackle the air pollution crisis? Not great, if the experts are to be believed. Political obstacles “The South Asia region remains marred with political crises, which impacts everything from cultural to policy cooperation,” said Butt. “Regionally, this means that we are not moving forward as there are no examples to follow. Some policy interventions have been adopted without understanding specific needs and hence have largely been unsuccessful or ineffective.” Panday is more scathing. The leaders in the region are caught up in political jingoism, he said. “What is needed is for people to rise up and vote for leaders who focus on the main issues that affect long-term wellbeing: climate change and air pollution, rather than playing petty geopolitical games,” Panday said. “At the international level, intergovernmental treaties and agreements on transboundary air pollution like the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, are well known,” said Roychowdhury. Even within countries, many different state jurisdictions have the obligation to meet regional air quality requirements in the developed world, she said. “In Europe, the member states work together to control international air pollution under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution adopted in 1979.” These are international agreements that are based on non-binding, enabling and flexible mechanisms, she said. South Asian countries can draw lessons for their own efforts. Given the magnitude of the air pollution crisis in South Asia, the time has come for a framework of regional cooperation and obligations based on mutually agreed action plans, including targets with adequate resource support, Roychowdhury said. “We need a comprehensive regional plan,” she said. Airshed approach Policymakers in these countries need to adopt an airshed approach ­— that much is obvious. “A limited understanding exists among policymakers, especially after years of activism and lobbying by researchers and civil society in these countries,” said Butt. “But air pollution is not considered an important enough agenda item because of the perceived economic impact of emission-control policies, and hence, not worth spending political capital on.” Any approach that combines technical understanding along with a method to manage the political costs of implementing collaborative reforms is likely to have more success than awareness alone, he said. “The largest impact is on the Punjab to Delhi belt, which also happens to be one of the most populated areas on the planet,” said Butt. “Therefore, it is no longer only a political issue alone, but also a human rights issue.” “The growing air pollution and public health crisis certainly builds a case for a strong regional framework for mitigating regional pollution,” said Roychowdhury. “The State of Global Air 2020 [report] shows that South Asia is one of the most adversely impacted regions in the world.”

谁在糊弄 谁擅长“甩锅”？看这些国家的减排承诺就一目了然

刚刚庆祝完印度传统节日——排灯节的新德里，迎来了一次超级严重的雾霾。燃放烟花爆竹等庆祝活动，导致新德里市区空气质量严重下降，能见度急剧降低，污染指数达到最高的“严重”级别，也就是在401-500之间。据美联社报道称，新德里的地标性建筑尼赫鲁体育场，污染指数甚至一度飙升至惊人的999。 微信图片_20211110162253.jpg 图源：World Air Quality Index Sitemap 11月7日新德里农场燃烧秸秆产生的污染物在PM2.5污染中所占比例为48%，达到本季节最高水平。根据美国国家航空航天局卫星的记录，11月1日-6日期间旁遮普邦、哈里亚纳邦和北方邦共发生了21623起焚烧秸秆事件。 而在遥远的英国格拉斯哥，印度总理莫迪在COP26上承诺，印度在2070年前实现碳中和。 面对承诺50年后碳中和的远大目标，印度的碳中和道路在哪里？ 在走向碳中和的道路上，空气污染问题是挡在印度面前的第一只拦路虎。 据世界环保组织报告显示，全球30个空气污染最严重的城市中，印度就占了一大半，其中新德里、巴特那、瓜廖尔、赖布尔这4个城市直接包揽了“世界前四”，可见其环境问题之严重。 一项由亚洲多国科研机构合作进行的针对新德里空气污染的研究指出，新德里所在的印度北部主要城市空气污染源来自当地的工业活动、城市建设、机动车尾气、道路扬尘、发电厂排放，以及城市周围农村地区的排放活动。 由于空气污染，2020年印度新德里就有44%的儿童肺功能下降，约600万例的哮喘发作都直接与空气污染有关，印度的环境污染问题已经严重影响到了下一代，但这貌似并没有引起印度当局的注意。 位于新德里的非营利组织科学与环境中心（Centre of Science and Environment）空气污染小组负责人阿努米塔·罗伊·乔杜里（Anumita Roy Chowdhury）表示，过去10年来政府的重点行动和法院命令确实降低了空气中有害颗粒物的浓度，但总的来说AQI指数依然很高。她认为新德里需要将排放量减少60%，才能达到清洁空气的标准。 而发展必须依赖能源的支持。国际能源署（IEA）2021年2月表示，到2040年，印度的国内生产总值（GDP）预计将增至8.6万亿美元，能源消耗预计将接近翻番。这样的能源缺口，必然主要依赖传统能源填补。 根据印度新能源和可再生能源部公布的数据，2019年印度56%以上的电力能源来自燃煤。专家测算显示，按照目前的发展速度，到2030年印度仅能完成200千兆瓦左右的非化石燃料发电产能。在未来，印度能否找到可替代的绿色能源也考验着印度政府的执政能力。 又要经济发展，又要减少雾霾最终实现碳中和，印度政府的工作任重道远。 除了空气污染，污水和垃圾也是挡在印度碳中和道路上的巨大障碍。 今年6月，印度总理莫迪公布了一项雄心勃勃的计划：要在2024年前实现全国自来水管覆盖，让所有印度人都用上自来水。但管道有了，水从哪来？ 印度中央污染控制委员会2021年3月的数据显示，印度城市地区每天产生的污水超过72亿升。但综合污水处理能力略低于每天32亿升，不到总量一半。 未经处理的污水是印度水源的主要污染源，导致一系列疾病，包括腹泻（每年造成35万印度儿童死亡）、农业污染和环境恶化。城市贫民经常生活在蚊子和细菌滋生的肮脏的排水沟和运河旁。 恒河岸边的400多间制革厂，将污水直排到河里。这些水含有酸、硫化物、氯化物、防腐剂，更有致命的碱式硫酸铬——铬是一种致癌物。 更不要说居民生活污水的处理率。目前，在印度农村，依然约有1.13亿户家庭没有厕所。印度总统莫迪曾于2014年发起了为期五年的“清洁印度”运动，旨在提升城市环境卫生，改善农村公共厕所环境，消灭露天排便情况。然而，印度国家统计局报告显示，2019年，仅有71.3%的农村受访家庭表示能用上厕所。 通过仪器检测，印度恒河水的溶解性总固体（指溶解于水中的总固体含量）水平达到700以上，比安全标准数高出五倍之多。 曾是印度泰米尔纳德邦加亚电视台的台长KP·苏尼尔说，对于印度的中低收入阶层而言，每月收入只有150～250美元，却要花100美元来用水——和吃饭的花费相当。人们要到处找水、花费本可以用来打工谋生的时间排队等水、花大价钱买瓶装水用于饮用和做饭。 在印度孟买，有一座历史最久、规模最大的垃圾场——迪昂纳垃圾场。 根据印度智库科学与环境中心的估计，2020年，这个垃圾场有近247个橄榄球场那么大。据统计，该垃圾场去年堆积了约1200万吨垃圾，堆积高度最高达到了36.5米。这些垃圾还产生了甲烷、硫化氢和一氧化碳等有毒气体。2016年，垃圾场的一场大火持续了一周，烟雾迫使70多所学校关闭。 今年，印度总理莫迪发起了一项“清除垃圾”计划，他表示将清除城市里的垃圾山。他补充说：“该计划将确保未经处理的废水不会留到河流中。” 但愿这项宏伟的计划能够得以落实。 澳大利亚：不说更不做 在COP26上，澳大利亚是一个“特立独行”的存在。 “即便是澳大利亚尽了最大的努力，在全球气候问题上，澳大利亚依旧落后世界其他国家。”RENEW ECONOMY如此评价澳大利亚在气候变化上的“成果”。 在国际环保组织的应对气候变化排行榜上，澳大利亚的评价是“poor”，以发达国家身份跻身全球最差之列。 在全球各国努力携起手来共同应对全球气候变化的难题时，澳大利亚的不作为遭到了很多环保机构的尖锐批评。专门研究国际环保政策的德国观察在2019年把世界54个主要排放国家的应对政策进行了评分，澳大利亚的得分是“0”。德国观察在报告中直言：“澳大利亚就是全球环保合作框架下拖后腿的那股力量。” 甚至在美英法等西方发达国家看来，澳大利亚应对气候变化的政策可以算得上是发达国家“之耻”。英国广播公司的报道认为，澳大利亚并未遵守巴黎协定的承诺，其应对气候变化的表现可以直接说是不合格。 澳大利亚到底做了什么，让全世界群情激奋？ 作为全球第15大温室气体排放国和煤炭、液化天然气（LNG）和原油的主要出口国，近年来，澳大利亚在气候承诺上表现不佳，碳排放量不降反升。澳大利亚曾经承诺，在2030年前减排26%至28%，回到2005年的水平，但这被英国等国家认为“缺乏决心”。 澳大利亚正在实现其在2015年《巴黎协定》下的二氧化碳减排目标，但净零承诺可能要等到2022年联邦选举和政治情绪的潜在转变之后。 2000年，时任总理约翰·霍华德明确表示澳大利亚不会批准《京都议定书》。2014年，澳大利亚废除实施不到3年的“碳税”政策。 在巴黎气候大会上，澳大利亚曾经承诺，到2030年该国碳排放量与2005年水平相比要减少26%~28％。去年年底的预测显示，到2030年，澳大利亚的碳排放量将仅比2005年的水平低16％。 如今，仅有2000多万人口的澳大利亚排放的温室气体总量占全球排放量的3.6％。而按人均计算，澳大利亚人的二氧化碳排放量是美国人均的四倍。 为了挽回颜面，在COP26前夕，莫里森政府终于公布了一项新的气候计划，承诺澳大利亚到2050年实现“净零碳排”目标，还为此印制了精美小册子来宣传这一目标。 但在长达126页的“净零”排放指导文件，不仅细节严重缺失、目标模糊不清，反而明确表示不会立法，甚至不会通过强制手段督促减排。 英国《卫报》援引气候专家的话指出，澳大利亚的“净零”排放计划只是重新宣布了现有的举措，并没有提出明确的目标或时间表。《独立澳大利亚》杂志则称，“莫里森政府正在用一套谎言和一本册子来糊弄澳大利亚人。” 美国：指责别人前能不能先做好自己？ 在COP26上，一场国际媒体记者会被意外打断。 “打断一下，你能不能直接用英文回答问题？”美联社记者突然发问打断了中国气候变化事务特使解振华的发言。 这种无理让在场的记者纷纷一愣，会场气氛变得紧张微妙起来。 “不如你用中文提问。”解振华哈哈一笑。幽默的话语让全场爆发出一阵大笑，美联社记者垂下头。 在随后回答这位美国记者的提问时，解振华说，正是在中美双方共同努力下，2015年联合国气候变化大会达成了《巴黎协定》。《巴黎协定》反映了世界发展的大趋势，来之不易，不能轻言放弃，但美国上届政府后来却宣布退出《巴黎协定》，“耽误全球应对气候变化多边进程长达5个年头，美国现在应该赶紧追上来，与我们一起合作”。 这位美国记者的做法与美国当前在气候变化问题上的态度如出一辙。 可以说，美国深谙“甩锅”真谛。 拜登在出席联合国气候峰会时，曾就特朗普政府退出巴黎气候协定的决定向其他国家领导人道歉。拜登表示，美国的退出使自身未能实现其气候目标，“我想我可能不应该道歉，但我确实要为美国上届政府退出巴黎协定这件事道歉”。 美国前总统特朗普2017年6月宣布美国将退出该协定，称其是一场“代价高昂的骗局”，给美国带来了巨大的财政和经济负担。 2020年11月4日，美国正式退出该协定。此举遭到美国国内和国际社会的广泛批评。 虽然今年1月20日，美国总统拜登拜登就任总统首日就签署行政令，宣布美国将重新加入巴黎气候协定。但美国近年来在气候变化领域的一些“不作为”依旧遭到国际社会的广泛指责。 11月7日，美国杂志《纽约客》刊文细数了美国政府这些年在气候问题上的不作为。文章提到，如果美国在三十年前就开始以身作则，今天的情况将会大不相同。 纵观1990年以来美国温室气体的排放趋势，及其在应对气候变化方面出台的政策、采取的行动，清晰地向世界展现了其不负责任做法。 尽管克林顿政府签订了《京都议定书》，但共和党控制的国会参议院从未批准该议定书，小布什政府上台后美国又迅速宣布“退群”。 美国曾明确的“将在第一承诺期（2008-2012年）将其温室气体排放比1990年减少7%”承诺。然而，在落实其承诺方面，美国表现让人大跌眼镜，不仅没有实现其温室气体的减排承诺，却展现出了其政府无视国际规则的另一面。美国的排放量不但没有减小7%，反而还增加了。 2019年，发达国家温室气体排放总量达到166.98亿吨二氧化碳当量（单位下同）。其中，美国排放量就达到65.58亿吨，是发达国家排放总量的39.28%；与1990年（基准年）相比，美国温室气体排放不但没有出现下降，反而增加了1.80%，不降反增！ 此次COP26上，拜登承诺，到2030年,美国温室气体排放量将较2005年的水平减少50%-52%。鉴于2005年美国人均碳排放量为20.8吨，这意味着美国提议到2030年将其人均碳排放量减少到10.4吨。但这意味着，到2030年，美国的人均碳排放量应该达到目前世界平均水平的220%。 这也意味着，到2030年，美国的人均碳排放量将比中国当前的人均碳排放量高42%。这不是领导全球气候变化，而是彻彻底底的破坏者。 说一套，做一套，最拿手的是“先下手为强”先给别人泼脏水，祸水东引。美国的“甩锅”确实玩得很溜。

दिल्ली में मौसम की पहली घनी घुंध, चार वर्षों में सबसे लंबे समय तक बने रहने का अनुमान: सीएसई

दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में मौसम की पहली घनी धुंध छा गयी है और इसके दो और दिनों तक रहने की आशंका है। विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने बुधवार को यह जानकारी दी। हालांकि, दिल्ली में मौसमी धुंध घनी है लेकिन अक्टूबर के मध्य से आठ नवंबर तक पराली जलाने से होने वाले धुएं का औसत दैनिक योगदान पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे कम रहा है। सीएसई में अनुसंधान की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा, ‘‘जाहिर तौर पर मौसम की प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों (ठंडी और शांत हवाओं) के संयुक्त असर, पराली और पटाखे जलाने से मौसम की धुंध छा गयी है।’’ सीएसई ने बताया कि पिछले चार वर्षों की धुंध की पहली घटना की तुलना करने पर मौजूदा धुंध 2018 और 2020 की पहली धुंध की अवधि से मिलती है जो छह दिनों तक रही थी। अगर परिस्थितियों में सुधार नहीं होता है तो यह 2019 की धुंध से भी अधिक समय तक रह सकती है जो आठ दिनों तक रही थी। सीएसई ने कहा, ‘‘दिल्ली के औसतन दैनिक पीएम2.5 में अक्टूबर से आठ नवंबर के दौरान धुएं का योगदान पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे कम रहा है। अभी तक यह प्रतिदिन औसतन 12 प्रतिशत दर्ज किया गया जबकि पिछले साल 17 फीसदी, 2019 में 14 फीसदी और 2018 में 16 प्रतिशत था।’’

New Delhi smog spikes after festival

Air quality in New Delhi worsened in the days after a grand festival and at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attending the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow. From "poor" air quality recorded on Nov 1, air quality in New Delhi slipped into "hazardous" by the weekend following Diwali, north India's greatest festival, according to the Central Pollution Control Board of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Air quality in New Delhi was in the "very poor" category on Nov 2 for the first time this season and the readings got worse in the following days. Despite a ban, people across the city lighted firecrackers late into Thursday night to celebrate Diwali, worsening pollution levels. A thick layer of smog blanketed New Delhi, a city of nearly 20 million people, on Friday morning, and people from several parts of the city and its suburbs complained of itchy throat and watery eyes. "People are walking into hospitals and clinics, saying they're breathless and heavy in the chest due to pollution over the past few days," said Rashmi Sama, a pulmonologist at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. The PM2.5 concentration stood at the maximum reading of 999 per cubic meter in some parts of Delhi on Friday, according to the Earth Sciences Ministry's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research. Several places recorded figures close to or higher than 500, which is categorized as "severe". Air quality index in various areas slipped to the "severe" category on Friday morning. Farm fires, firecrackers New Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Friday that the city's air quality had deteriorated due to a surge in farm fires and some people lighting firecrackers during Diwali despite a ban. The Delhi government banned the sales and lighting of firecrackers this year to curb pollution levels. Rampant incidents of stubble burning around New Delhi during this season have further aggravated the situation. According to air quality information service SAFAR, stubble burning accounted for 36 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 on Friday, the highest so far this season. Fire and smoke emanating from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana states are carried by winds to Delhi, mixing with Delhi's own rising pollution. Carbon dioxide emitted by 12 million vehicles in Delhi, industrial plants and billions of dust particles from construction sites are other major pollution sources in Delhi, according to government reports. "It can be expected that smog episodes this year might have higher peak pollution if special steps are not taken to reduce pollution from the sources," stated a 2021 pre-winter analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment.