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This is what the study shows regarding the air quality during lockdown

New Delhi: According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), pollution levels during the lockdown imposed in 2021 were more in comparison to the lockdown imposed last year. The Delhi-based think tank compared the air quality analysis between the lockdowns imposed in two years and released the report. The report of the CSE stated that the lockdown imposed in 2021 was effective in reducing PM2.5 pollutant levels. However, due to the short duration of the lockdown, the pollutant levels did not fall down as low as summer 2020. According to the CSE, PM2.5 pollutant levels reduced by 20 percent after a partial lockdown was imposed in Delhi from April 6 to April 19. The average pollution levels fell down by 12 percent when the complete lockdown was imposed. The analysis read, “Meteorology would be partly responsible for this elevated level but this could also be a reflection of weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also comparatively higher. ” As per the report, the monthly average level of PM2.5 pollutants in April and May this year was higher in comparison to April-May 2020. In the evening peak of the hourly cycle of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) was 29 percent higher during the 2021 lockdown as opposed to the lockdown imposed last year. The level, however, was 57 percent lower than the regular evening peak, which was recorded in May 2019. The program manager in CSE’s urban lab team of the sustainable cities program, Avikal Somvanshi, said, “The key highlight is that during springtime, January to March, when pollution level begins to subside after winter, PM2.5 this year has recorded the highest seasonal levels compared to the corresponding period in preceding years, including 2019 which was a normal year. “

दिल्ली एनसीआर की हवा पूर्णबंदी में भी रही दूषित, CSE ने जारी किए ताजा आंकड़े

पूर्णबंदी के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ा हुआ पाया गया, वहीं निगरानी तंत्र में भी कमी पाई गई। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने वायु गुणवत्ता विश्लेषण के ताजा आंकड़े जारी किए हैं जो दर्शाता है कि दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में महामारी के दौरान हवा कैसी थी। यह आकलन अवधि सितंबर 2018 से मई 2021 तक है जिसमें दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में लगातार तीन सर्दियों के मौसम, पूर्व और महामारी युग और पूर्णबंदी के विभिन्न चरणों को शामिल किया गया है। रिपोर्ट बताती है कि 2020 में मार्च से मई और अप्रैल-जून, 2021 में पूर्णबंदी के दोनों चरणों के दौरान महीन धूल कणों (पीएम 2.5) के स्तर में काफी गिरावट आई है, जबकि शुरुआती महीनों में आंशिक प्रतिबंधों के बावजूद प्रदूषण स्तर में वृद्धि हुई है। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक-अनुसंधान और वकालत अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा है कि इसके कारण की जांच की आवश्यकता है। आमतौर से वसंत का समय जनवरी से मार्च, जब सर्दियों के बाद प्रदूषण का स्तर कम होना शुरू हो जाता है। सीएसई के अविकल सोमवंशी ने कहा कि इस वर्ष पीएम 2.5 पिछले वर्षों की इसी अवधि की तुलना में उच्चतम मौसमी स्तर पर दर्ज किया है । यह विश्लेषण दिल्ली और एनसीआर में वर्तमान में काम कर रहे वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशनों से उपलब्ध वास्तविक समय के आंकड़ों (रियल टाइम डाटा) पर आधारित है। दिल्ली का निगरानी नेटवर्क 2020 के अंत तक 40 स्टेशनों (दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति या डीपीसीसी के 24, आइएमडी के 8, केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के 6 और आइआइटीएम के 2) तक बढ़ गया, लेकिन सक्रिय स्टेशनों की संख्या आइएमडी के सभी स्टेशनों के ऑफलाइन हो जाने के कारण घटकर 32 हो गई है। बुराड़ी क्रॉसिंग पर आइएमडी का स्टेशन 13 दिसंबर, 2020 से बंद (ऑफलाइन) है, जबकि आयानगर, सीआरआरआइ मथुरा रोड, आइआइटी, एयरपोर्ट, लोदी रोड, दिल्ली विश्विद्यालय का उत्तरी परिसर और स्टेशन 10 मार्च, 2021 को बंद हो गए। वास्तव में, उनके दो अन्य स्टेशन (ग्वाल) पहाड़ी, गुरुग्राम और नोएडा सेक्टर 62 भी ऑफलाइन हो गए हैं। कुल मिलाकर, दिल्ली और एनसीआर के पांच बड़े शहरों में निगरानी नेटवर्क की संख्या 58 स्टेशनों से घटकर 48 स्टेशनों पर आ गई है। डेटा की कम उपलब्धता के साथ यह चिंता का विषय है क्योंकि इससे निगरानी नेटवर्क कमजोर हो जाता है।

World Environment Day:Pollution will rebound sans stronger action

Air quality analysis of pandemic year shows how tough it is to tame pollution only with forced restrictions; need hard action for sustained gains Spring pollution of 2021 (January-March) has recorded higher levels for the season since 2019. The levels during two hard lockdown phases in 2020 and 2021 predictably dropped and showed similar levels. But semi lockdown phase in 2021 has recorded higher levels than 2020. April-May 2021 particularly is dirtier than the corresponding time last year During 2020-21 winter, at least 14 additional locations have registered a higher seasonal average than the mean of recognized hotspots in Delhi and NCR making them the new hotspots. Three locations each are added in the hot spot category in Ghaziabad and Noida. During May 2021 lockdown, while Panjabi Bagh, Rohini, and Dilshad Garden have recorded improvement compared to May 2020 lockdown. But RK Puram, Patparganj, Saidpur, and Mandir Marg have worsened. While the number of days in severe and severe-plus categories has stabilized in 2020, the number of days in the very poor category has increased this year. Action may have slowed down during the second wave of the COVI19 pandemic. But this has to gather momentum now to prevent a rebound effect New Delhi, June 5, 2021: On this World Environment Day, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released the latest results of air quality analysis that shows how air quality trend has changed through the successive seasons during the pandemic times in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). This assessment period is from September 2018 to May 2021 that captures three successive winter seasons, pre and pandemic era, and also different stages of lockdown in Delhi and the National Capital Region. This reaffirms that while there has been a substantial drop in PM2.5 levels during both the hard lockdown phases in March to May in 2020 and April-June, 2021 with nearly similar levels evoking imagery of blue sky, the early months of 2021 or the springtime has witnessed worsening. “This indicates that despite the partial restrictions the pollution level has increased. While the reason needs investigation, it is important to underscore that there would be a rebound effect with the full opening of the economy and intensification of traffic. Pandemic management during the second wave may have slowed down action but this has to speed up to prevent the rebound effect or retaliatory emissions to ensure longer term air quality gains”, says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE, and the head of its sustainable urbanisation, air pollution and mobility programmes. This is particularly important given the new science on the linkage between air quality and its effect on vulnerability to the pandemic. “The key highlight is that the springtime – January to March, when pollution level begins to subside after winter, PM2.5 this year has recorded highest seasonal levels compared to the corresponding period in preceding years including the normal year of 2019,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in Delhi and NCR. However, even though Delhi’s monitoring network grew to 40 AQM stations by the end of 2020 (24 of Delhi Pollution Control Committee or DPCC, 8 of IMD, 6 of Central Pollution Control Board -CPCB and 2 of IITM), the number of active stations have reduced to 32 as all the IMD stations have gone offline. IMD’s station at Burari Crossing has been offline since 13 Dec, 2020 while Ayanagar, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport, Lodi Road, North Campus DU, and PUSA stations went offline on March 10, 2021. In fact, their two other stations (Gwal Pahari, Gurugram and Noida Sector 62) have also gone offline. As far as data availability is concerned there is a wide variation between monitoring locations. While over 90 percent of hourly data is available for all DPCC and CPCB stations for the time period between 1 January to 31 May 2021, data availability for two IITM stations is 75-86 percent. HSPCB stations in Gurugram show over 90 per cent data availability, but the stations in Faridabad has only 70-89 percent data available. UPSPCB stations in Nodia, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida have over 85 percent data available except the stations at Noida Sector 125 and Greater Noida Knowledge Park-III which have just 65 percent data. Overall, monitoring network strength in Delhi and big five NCR cities has come down from 58 stations to 48 stations now. This along with the lower availability of data is a matter of concern as this makes the investments in monitoring networks sub-optimal. See the complete CSE analysis report: https://www.cseindia.org/World-environment-Day-Air-quality-and-pandemic-note.pdf Key highlights of the air quality analysis Longer-term PM2.5 levels have stabilized and are downward – but seasonal variation is high: The overall annual trend is arrested and is downward. But there is a variation in a seasonal pattern. Normally, PM2.5 level have a seasonal cycle with winter being the most polluted and monsoon being the cleanest. Spring (January to March) acts as a transitional period between the two extremes – winter and summer. A significant drop in PM2.5 levels happens as the weather warms up and the wind picks up speed during spring. There was a 26 percent drop between the winter of 2018 and spring of 2019. In 2020 this drop increased to 36 percent due to pollution control measures in place and also an imposition of partial lockdowns in March 2020. But this downward trend in spring pollution did not continue this year, with a seasonal drop limited to 18 percent. In fact, spring this year has been 31 percent dirtier than 2020 and 8 percent dirtier than 2019. Lockdown with a difference: Lockdowns were effective in bringing down PM2.5 levels this year as well. But given the shorter duration and lesser stringency of lockdowns this year PM2.5 levels are not as low as the summer of 2020. The monthly average level of PM2.5 in April and May 2021 – the hard lockdown phase, was higher than the corresponding levels in April-May, 2020, – also a hard lockdown phase. Meteorology would be part responsible for this elevated level but this could also be a reflection of weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also comparatively higher. In fact, additional analysis has shown that the evening peak of the hourly cycle of NO2 was 29 percent higher in the 2021 hard-lockdown than observed in the 2020 hard lockdown. But it was still 57 percent lower than the regular evening peak noted in May of 2019. The month of May which was completely under lockdown saw Delhi and the big four cities record identical PM2.5 levels. Ghaziabad with a monthly average of 59 μg/m3 was the most polluted during the lockdown while Gurugram with 51 μg/m3 was the cleanest. Average for the year so far (January to May) shows a similar spatial trend among the cities. Varying pattern of hard lockdown phase and semi-lockdown phase of 2020 and 2021: This year’s restriction in form of night-curfews and weekend lockdowns started on April 6 with complete lockdown being imposed on April 19. Imposition of partial-lockdown lowered PM2.5 levels by 20 percent, the complete lockdown brought the average down by a further 12 percent. In 2020, partial lockdown started 12 March 2020 with hard lockdown kicking in on March 25, which was lifted in a phase-wise manner from May 18 onwards. Then the partial lockdown also brought PM2.5 levels down by 20 percent but the hard lockdown reduced it by another 35 percent. Lifting of restriction from May 18 led to a 28 percent rise in PM2.5 levels. When compared to the summer of 2019 which had no lockdowns, lockdown summers have been 25-40 percent cleaner. Heat map of daily air quality pattern from 2019 to 2021 shows the changing patterns of smog episodes and cleaner days in Delhi and NCR: Daily PM2.5 levels have been further classified according to the air quality index categories. The number of days in the very poor AQI PM2.5 sub-category dramatically increased in Feb-March of 2021 (See Graph4: Heatmap of Delhi’s daily PM2.5 AQI sub-category). There were 27 days of “very poor” days this Feb-March compared to 17 in 2020 and 12 in 2019. Days meeting the standard also plummeted this spring with just two days recorded. 2020 had 16 and 2019 had 6 days when the standard was met. This red shift breaks the three year trend of accelerated dissipation of bad winter air. The number of days with a severe concentration of PM2.5 declined while the duration of smog episodes were shorter during 2020-21 winter: This winter 23 days had a citywide average of PM2.5 concentration in “severe’ or worse AQI sub-category, this is down from 25 such days in pervious winter and 33 days in 2018-19. Technically, a smog episode is defined for the purpose of implementing emergency action under the Graded Response Action Plan when the levels of PM2.5 remain in the “severe” category for three consecutive days. From this perspective, this winter there were two continuous smog episodes. The first episode was of longer duration as it started on 3rd November and lasted 7 days. The second started on 22nd Dec and lasted for 3 days. Thus the continuous smog episodes are fewer and shorter compared to previous winters. 2019-20 winter had three smog episodes of 8 days, 6 days, and 5 days durations. 2018-19 winter had four smog episodes of 10 days, a couple of 6 days and a 3 days durations. Relatively faster dissipation of smog episodes without any major rainfall or pollution control-emergency action this year points towards a downward trend in the annual average concentration. This period also coincides with the gradual unlocking of the economy and travel in the air shed (perhaps the residual impact of lockdown). But still persistent high level suggests the impact of local pollution. Shifting the position of city hotspots in relation to the city average over the three winters – 16 of 18 recognized hotspot registered worsening of air: There is a broad classification of hotspots. Originally, hotspots were defined as those with annual average levels higher than the mean value of the city – that is any case is much worse than the national ambient air quality standards. According to the original list, except Wazirpur and Sahibabad, all the locations on the Delhi-NCR pollution hotspot list saw a spike in the seasonal PM2.5 level compared to last winter. Jahangirpuri with a seasonal average of 256 μg/m3 was the dirtiest among the recognized hotspots. Bahadurgarh recorded almost 50 percent jump in PM2.5 level was cleaner than other hotspots. But heavier deterioration was noted in many other locations that are not yet designated as hotspots. However, during the winter months, at least 14 more locations registered higher seasonal average than the mean of recognized hotspots, i.e. 197 μg/m3. These were Alipur, DTU, ITO, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar and Vivek Vihar in Delhi, Sector 1 and 116 in Noida, Loni, Sanjay Vihar and Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, Knowledge Park V in Greater Noida and Bulandshahr. This again points towards the impact of local pollution. The behavior of pollution hotspots during lockdowns: If we look at places that reported relatively higher PM2.5 levels during the lockdown this year, the hotspots (old and new) occupy the top of the list without exception. Further, 21 out of 43 stations that have data for both this lockdown and 2020 lockdown show improvement in PM2.5 levels. Among stations that saw improvement Panjabi Bagh (-42 percent) was the best followed by Rohini (-21 percent) and Dilshad Garden (-20 percent). Almost all sites with improvement are residential in nature. *** The most significant increase is noted at RK Puram (51 percent) followed by Patparganj (45 percent), Saidpur (36 percent), and Mandir Marg (30 percent). The increase in Mandir Marg and Saidpur can be due to ongoing construction work at Central Vista as these stations are downwind of the construction. Highlights of key pollution episodes Dust event in May 2021: In the morning of 23rd May, Delhi woke up to strange yellow haze with city’s AQ monitors blinking red with PM2.5 levels in severe level. This haze appeared straight after the wettest week with strong winds in May in Delhi that was affected by the cyclone Tauktae. PM10 levels that is affected more by coarse dust shot up 10-folds within 4 hours, while PM2.5 rose 5-6folds. At its peak PM10 was beyond 1,000 μg/m3 while PM2.5 was 469 μg/m3, i.e. 47 percentage. The haze disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. This was a rare meteorological phenomena in which cyclonic systems carried dust along. Winter smog: During the dust event in May 2021, though the PM levels for those few hours were as high as that noted during the infamous Delhi smog but it was chemically and physically different. During the winter smog episode that peaked on November 10, 2020 the PM2.5 was almost 90 percent of the PM10 in the air. And this peak had built-up over two days. This early November smog is also a result of winds transporting PM and smoke from stubble burning in northern plains. SAFAR noted that over 20 percent of PM2.5 in Delhi came from the stubble fire smoke during this period. Another high PM event happened in Delhi in January when cold weather and calm wind trapped local pollution spiking PM concentration. The peak of this seasonal phenomenon happened on January 15, 2021, when PM10 rose to 744 μg/m3 and PM2.5 hit 499 μg/m3. PM2.5 was 67 percent of the overall PM concentration. This had a diurnal cycle with peak almost always occurring late night, loosely linked to traffic rush hours. Yet another PM event is associated with Diwali. It builds up rapidly and is very toxic. Says Roychowdhury: “This analysis reinforces the need for speed and scale of implementation of multi-sector action plan in Delhi and NCR. Target action needs to be set for each sector – vehicles and transport, industry and power plants, waste management, dust control, and green initiatives to ensure time-bound implementation and disciplined compliance across the NCR.

Lockdown pollution higher in 2021 than last year: Study

The lockdown imposed this year on account of the second wave of Covid-19 was not as effective in bringing down the pollution levels in the national capital as it was last year, showed an air quality analysis conducted by the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “Lockdowns were effective in bringing down PM2.5 levels this year as well. But given the shorter duration and lesser stringent lockdown this year, the levels are not as low as summer 2020,” read the analysis by CSE. The think tank said that the imposition of a partial lockdown (from April 6 to April 19) lowered PM2.5 levels by 20% in Delhi, while the complete lockdown (from April 20 onwards) brought the average pollution levels further down by 12%. “Meteorology would be partly responsible for this elevated level but this could also be a reflection of weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also comparatively higher,” the analysis added. The report said the monthly average level of PM2.5 in April and May this year, which was the phase when hard lockdown was imposed in the Capital, was higher compared to April-May 2020 — a period which was marked by a strict nationwide lockdown. It said the evening peak of the hourly cycle of NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) was 29% higher during this year’s lockdown as compared to the lockdown last year. However, it was still 57% lower than the regular evening peak noted in May of 2019. “The key highlight is that during spring time, January to March, when pollution level begins to subside after winter, PM2.5 this year has recorded the highest seasonal levels compared to the corresponding period in preceding years, including 2019 which was a normal year,” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s urban lab team of the sustainable cities programme. “…despite the partial restrictions, pollution levels have increased. While the reason needs investigation, it is important to understand that there would be a rebound effect with the full opening of the economy,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), CSE. The CSE analysis also showed that there were 27 ”very poor” days in terms of air quality this February-March compared to 17 last year and 12 in 2019.

Lockdown pollution higher in 2021 than last year: Study

The lockdown imposed this year on account of the second wave of Covid-19 was not as effective in bringing down the pollution levels in the national capital as it was last year, showed an air quality analysis conducted by the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “Lockdowns were effective in bringing down PM2.5 levels this year as well. But given the shorter duration and lesser stringent lockdown this year, the levels are not as low as summer 2020,” read the analysis by CSE. The think tank said that the imposition of a partial lockdown (from April 6 to April 19) lowered PM2.5 levels by 20% in Delhi, while the complete lockdown (from April 20 onwards) brought the average pollution levels further down by 12%. “Meteorology would be partly responsible for this elevated level but this could also be a reflection of weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also comparatively higher,” the analysis added. The report said the monthly average level of PM2.5 in April and May this year, which was the phase when hard lockdown was imposed in the Capital, was higher compared to April-May 2020 — a period which was marked by a strict nationwide lockdown. It said the evening peak of the hourly cycle of NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) was 29% higher during this year’s lockdown as compared to the lockdown last year. However, it was still 57% lower than the regular evening peak noted in May of 2019. “The key highlight is that during spring time, January to March, when pollution level begins to subside after winter, PM2.5 this year has recorded the highest seasonal levels compared to the corresponding period in preceding years, including 2019 which was a normal year,” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s urban lab team of the sustainable cities programme. “…despite the partial restrictions, pollution levels have increased. While the reason needs investigation, it is important to understand that there would be a rebound effect with the full opening of the economy,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), CSE. The CSE analysis also showed that there were 27 ”very poor” days in terms of air quality this February-March compared to 17 last year and 12 in 2019.

Delhi NCR air remained polluted even in lockdown, Science and Environment Center released latest data

पूर्णबंदी के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ा हुआ पाया गया, वहीं निगरानी तंत्र में भी कमी पाई गई। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने वायु गुणवत्ता विश्लेषण के ताजा आंकड़े जारी किए हैं जो दर्शाता है कि दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में महामारी के दौरान हवा कैसी थी। यह आकलन अवधि सितंबर 2018 से मई 2021 तक है जिसमें दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में लगातार तीन सर्दियों के मौसम, पूर्व और महामारी युग और पूर्णबंदी के विभिन्न चरणों को शामिल किया गया है। रिपोर्ट बताती है कि 2020 में मार्च से मई और अप्रैल-जून, 2021 में पूर्णबंदी के दोनों चरणों के दौरान महीन धूल कणों (पीएम 2.5) के स्तर में काफी गिरावट आई है, जबकि शुरुआती महीनों में आंशिक प्रतिबंधों के बावजूद प्रदूषण स्तर में वृद्धि हुई है। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक-अनुसंधान और वकालत अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा है कि इसके कारण की जांच की आवश्यकता है। आमतौर से वसंत का समय जनवरी से मार्च, जब सर्दियों के बाद प्रदूषण का स्तर कम होना शुरू हो जाता है। सीएसई के अविकल सोमवंशी ने कहा कि इस वर्ष पीएम 2.5 पिछले वर्षों की इसी अवधि की तुलना में उच्चतम मौसमी स्तर पर दर्ज किया है । यह विश्लेषण दिल्ली और एनसीआर में वर्तमान में काम कर रहे वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशनों से उपलब्ध वास्तविक समय के आंकड़ों (रियल टाइम डाटा) पर आधारित है। दिल्ली का निगरानी नेटवर्क 2020 के अंत तक 40 स्टेशनों (दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति या डीपीसीसी के 24, आइएमडी के 8, केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के 6 और आइआइटीएम के 2) तक बढ़ गया, लेकिन सक्रिय स्टेशनों की संख्या आइएमडी के सभी स्टेशनों के ऑफलाइन हो जाने के कारण घटकर 32 हो गई है। बुराड़ी क्रॉसिंग पर आइएमडी का स्टेशन 13 दिसंबर, 2020 से बंद (ऑफलाइन) है, जबकि आयानगर, सीआरआरआइ मथुरा रोड, आइआइटी, एयरपोर्ट, लोदी रोड, दिल्ली विश्विद्यालय का उत्तरी परिसर और स्टेशन 10 मार्च, 2021 को बंद हो गए। वास्तव में, उनके दो अन्य स्टेशन (ग्वाल) पहाड़ी, गुरुग्राम और नोएडा सेक्टर 62 भी ऑफलाइन हो गए हैं। कुल मिलाकर, दिल्ली और एनसीआर के पांच बड़े शहरों में निगरानी नेटवर्क की संख्या 58 स्टेशनों से घटकर 48 स्टेशनों पर आ गई है। डेटा की कम उपलब्धता के साथ यह चिंता का विषय है क्योंकि इससे निगरानी नेटवर्क कमजोर हो जाता है।

Delhi: Pollution levels during lockdown imposed in 2021 more in comparison to last year, reveals study

The analysis of the CSE stated that the lockdown imposed in 2021 was effective in reducing PM2.5 pollutant level (Representative Image). A report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has revealed that the lockdowns imposed in 2021 were less effective in curbing pollution levels in Delhi as compared to the lockdown in 2020. New Delhi: According to a recent report, pollution levels during the lockdown imposed in 2021 were more in comparison to the lockdown imposed last year. The said report was conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The Delhi-based think tank compared the air quality analysis between the lockdowns imposed in two years and released the report. The analysis of the CSE stated that the lockdown imposed in 2021 was effective in reducing PM2.5 pollutant levels. However, due to the short duration of the lockdown, the pollutant levels did not fall down as low as summer 2020. PM2.5 pollutant levels reduced by 20 per cent during partial lockdown The CSE said that PM2.5 pollutant levels reduced by 20 per cent after a partial lockdown was imposed in Delhi from April 6 to April 19. The average pollution levels fell down by 12 per cent when the complete lockdown was imposed. The analysis read, "Meteorology would be partly responsible for this elevated level but this could also be a reflection of weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also comparatively higher. " As per the report, the monthly average level of PM2.5 pollutants in April and May this year was higher in comparison to April-May 2020, Hindustan Times reported. In the evening peak of the hourly cycle of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) was 29 per cent higher during the 2021 lockdown as opposed to the lockdown imposed last year. The level, however, was 57 per cent lower than the regular evening peak, which was recorded in May 2019.

प्रदूषण कम करने में इस साल प्रभावी नहीं रहा लॉकडाउन, दिल्ली-NCR की हवा नहीं हुई साफ

नई दिल्ली. दिल्ली-एनसीआर में इस साल लॉकडाउन की वजह से वायु गुणवत्ता (AQI) में सुधार तो देखने को मिला लेकिन यह पिछले साल जैसा प्रभावी नहीं रहा, क्योंकि 2021 में लगा लॉकडाउन (Lockdown) पिछले साल की तुलना में छोटा और कम कड़ाई वाला था. सेंटर फॉर साइंस ऐंड एन्वायरमेंन्ट (सीएसई) के एक अध्ययन में यह बात सामने आई है. अध्ययन में बताया गया कि मौसम संबंधी स्थिति इस अंतर के लिए आंशिक तौर पर जिम्मेदार हो सकती है लेकिन यह आंकड़ा इस बात को प्रतिबिंबित करता है कि प्रदूषण नियंत्रण संबंधी कदम इस शहर और क्षेत्र में कड़ाई से नहीं उठाए गए हैं. इस अध्ययन के अनुसार 2021 में यातायात आवाजाही भी पहले की तुलना में ज्यादा है. इस साल छह अप्रैल से दिल्ली में प्रतिबंध रात्रिकालीन कर्फ्यू और सप्ताहांत में लॉकडाउन से शुरू हुई और 19 अप्रैल से पूर्ण लॉकडाउन लागू किया गया. अध्ययन के मुताबिक, आंशिक लॉकडाउन से पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषक तत्व के स्तर में 20 फीसदी तक की कमी आई जबकि पूर्ण लॉकडाउन से इसके स्तर में 12 फ़ीसदी की और गिरावट आई.लॉकडाउन से पीएम-2.5 का स्तर 35 फीसदी और कम हुआसीएसई ने बताया, ‘‘ 2020 में आंशिक लॉकडाउन 12 मार्च से शुरू हो गया था और 25 मार्च से कड़े लॉकडाउन लागू थे, जिसे 18 मई से चरणबद्ध तरीके से हटाया गया. पिछले साल आंशिक लॉकडाउन के दौरान पीएम2.5 में 20 फीसदी की कमी आई जबकि कड़ाई से लागू लॉकडाउन से पीएम-2.5 का स्तर 35 फीसदी और कम हुआ.’’

Pollution due to lockdown in 2021 higher than last year: Study

The lockdown imposed this year due to the second wave of Covid-19 was not as effective in curbing pollution levels in the national capital as last year, an air quality analysis conducted by the Delhi-based think tank Center for Science and Environment found. (CSE). “Lockdowns were also effective this year in lowering PM2.5 levels. But given the shorter duration and less severe lockdown this year, levels are not as low as in the summer of 2020,” CSE’s analysis said. The think tank said the imposition of a partial lockdown (from April 6 to April 19) has reduced PM2.5 levels in Delhi by 20%, while the full lockdown (from April 20) has further reduced average pollution levels by 12%. . “Meteorology could be partly responsible for this increased level, but it could also reflect weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also relatively higher,” the analysis added. The report said the monthly average level of PM2.5 in April and May this year, the phase in which a hard lockdown was imposed in the capital, was higher compared to April-May 2020 – a period marked by a strict lockdown. nationwide lockdown. It said the evening peak of the hourly cycle of NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) during this year’s shutdown was 29% higher compared to last year’s shutdown. However, it was still 57% lower than the regular evening peak in May 2019. “The main highlight is that in the spring, from January to March, when pollution levels begin to decrease after winter, PM2.5 recorded the highest seasonal levels this year compared to the corresponding period in previous years, including 2019, which was a normal year. ”, says Avikal Somvanshi, program manager in CSE’s urban laboratory team of the sustainable cities program. “…despite the partial restrictions, pollution levels have increased. While the reason needs to be investigated, it is important to understand that there would be a rebound effect with the full opening of the economy,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director (Research and Advocacy), CSE. The CSE analysis also found that there were 27 “very bad” days in terms of air quality in February-March, compared to 17 last year and 12 in 2019. .

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा स्वच्छ करने के मामले में लॉकडाउन पिछले साल जैसा प्रभावी नहीं: सीएसई

नयी दिल्ली: दिल्ली-एनसीआर में इस साल लॉकडाउन की वजह से वायु गुणवत्ता में सुधार तो देखने को मिला लेकिन यह पिछले साल जैसा प्रभावी नहीं रहा क्योंकि 2021 में लगा लॉकडाउन पिछले साल की तुलना में छोटा और कम कड़ाई वाला था। सेंटर फॉर साइंस ऐंड एन्वायरमेंन्ट (सीएसई) के एक अध्ययन में यह बात सामने आई है। अध्ययन में बताया गया कि मौसम संबंधी स्थिति इस अंतर के लिए आंशिक तौर पर जिम्मेदार हो सकती है लेकिन यह आंकड़ा इस बात को प्रतिबिंबित करता है कि प्रदूषण नियंत्रण संबंधी कदम इस शहर और क्षेत्र में कड़ाई से नहीं उठाए गए हैं। इस अध्ययन के अनुसार 2021 में यातायात आवाजाही भी पहले की तुलना में ज्यादा है। इस साल छह अप्रैल से दिल्ली में प्रतिबंध रात्रिकालीन कर्फ्यू और सप्ताहांत में लॉकडाउन से शुरू हुई और 19 अप्रैल से पूर्ण लॉकडाउन लागू किया गया। अध्ययन के मुताबिक आंशिक लॉकडाउन से पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषक तत्व के स्तर में 20 फीसदी तक की कमी आई जबकि पूर्ण लॉकडाउन से इसके स्तर में 12 फ़ीसदी की और गिरावट आई। सीएसई ने बताया, ‘‘ 2020 में आंशिक लॉकडाउन 12 मार्च से शुरू हो गया था और 25 मार्च से कड़े लॉकडाउन लागू थे, जिसे 18 मई से चरणबद्ध तरीके से हटाया गया। पिछले साल आंशिक लॉकडाउन के दौरान पीएम2.5 में 20 फीसदी की कमी आई जबकि कड़ाई से लागू लॉकडाउन से पीएम-2.5 का स्तर 35 फीसदी और कम हुआ।” (एजेंसी)

All IMD Air Quality Monitoring Stations In Delhi Offline: Think Tank

None of the eight air quality monitoring stations (AQMs) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Delhi has relayed data to the central server in the last two months, the Centre for Science and Environment said on Friday. The IMD said the AQMs are functional but data is not being relayed to the central server due to a technical issue. “Even though Delhi’s monitoring network grew to 40 stations by the end of 2020, the number of active stations has reduced to 32 as all the IMD stations have gone offline,” the CSE said. The IMD’s station at Burari crossing has been offline since December last year, while the Ayanagar, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport, Lodhi Road, North Campus DU, and the PUSA stations went offline on March 10, it said. In fact, the IMD’s two other stations — Gwal Pahari, Gurgaon, and Noida Sector 62 — have also gone offline, the CSE said. An IMD official said the Central Pollution Control Board has been informed about the issue, and it is likely to be resolved next week. The problem could not be fixed earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Of the 40 AQMs in Delhi, 24 belong to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, six are of the CPCB and two of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

Lockdown pollution higher in 2021 than last year: Study

The think tank said that the imposition of a partial lockdown (from April 6 to April 19) lowered PM2.5 levels by 20% in Delhi, while the complete lockdown (from April 20 onwards) brought the average pollution levels further down by 12%. The lockdown imposed this year on account of the second wave of Covid-19 was not as effective in bringing down the pollution levels in the national capital as it was last year, showed an air quality analysis conducted by the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “Lockdowns were effective in bringing down PM2.5 levels this year as well. But given the shorter duration and lesser stringent lockdown this year, the levels are not as low as summer 2020,” read the analysis by CSE. The think tank said that the imposition of a partial lockdown (from April 6 to April 19) lowered PM2.5 levels by 20% in Delhi, while the complete lockdown (from April 20 onwards) brought the average pollution levels further down by 12%. “Meteorology would be partly responsible for this elevated level but this could also be a reflection of weakening of pollution control measures and efforts in the city and region during the pandemic phase. Traffic intensity was also comparatively higher,” the analysis added.

दिल्ली एनसीआर की हवा पूर्णबंदी में भी रही दूषित, विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र ने जारी किए ताजा आंकड़े

विश्लेषण दिल्ली और एनसीआर में वर्तमान में काम कर रहे वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशनों से उपलब्ध वास्तविक समय के आंकड़ों (रियल टाइम डाटा) पर आधारित है। पूर्णबंदी के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ा हुआ पाया गया, वहीं निगरानी तंत्र में भी कमी पाई गई। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने वायु गुणवत्ता विश्लेषण के ताजा आंकड़े जारी किए हैं जो दर्शाता है कि दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में महामारी के दौरान हवा कैसी थी। यह आकलन अवधि सितंबर 2018 से मई 2021 तक है जिसमें दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में लगातार तीन सर्दियों के मौसम, पूर्व और महामारी युग और पूर्णबंदी के विभिन्न चरणों को शामिल किया गया है। रिपोर्ट बताती है कि 2020 में मार्च से मई और अप्रैल-जून, 2021 में पूर्णबंदी के दोनों चरणों के दौरान महीन धूल कणों (पीएम 2.5) के स्तर में काफी गिरावट आई है, जबकि शुरुआती महीनों में आंशिक प्रतिबंधों के बावजूद प्रदूषण स्तर में वृद्धि हुई है। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक-अनुसंधान और वकालत अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा है कि इसके कारण की जांच की आवश्यकता है। आमतौर से वसंत का समय जनवरी से मार्च, जब सर्दियों के बाद प्रदूषण का स्तर कम होना शुरू हो जाता है। सीएसई के अविकल सोमवंशी ने कहा कि इस वर्ष पीएम 2.5 पिछले वर्षों की इसी अवधि की तुलना में उच्चतम मौसमी स्तर पर दर्ज किया है । यह विश्लेषण दिल्ली और एनसीआर में वर्तमान में काम कर रहे वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशनों से उपलब्ध वास्तविक समय के आंकड़ों (रियल टाइम डाटा) पर आधारित है। दिल्ली का निगरानी नेटवर्क 2020 के अंत तक 40 स्टेशनों (दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति या डीपीसीसी के 24, आइएमडी के 8, केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के 6 और आइआइटीएम के 2) तक बढ़ गया, लेकिन सक्रिय स्टेशनों की संख्या आइएमडी के सभी स्टेशनों के ऑफलाइन हो जाने के कारण घटकर 32 हो गई है। कुल मिलाकर, दिल्ली और एनसीआर के पांच बड़े शहरों में निगरानी नेटवर्क की संख्या 58 स्टेशनों से घटकर 48 स्टेशनों पर आ गई है। डेटा की कम उपलब्धता के साथ यह चिंता का विषय है क्योंकि इससे निगरानी नेटवर्क कमजोर हो जाता है।

The Ecological Cost Of COVID-19: Over 2 Lakh Kg Biomedical Waste Generated Daily In May Alone

According to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment, over two lakh kilograms of biomedical waste was generated each day last month by hospitals alone in India. This include cultures, stocks of infectious agents, associated biologicals, human blood and blood products, contaminated sharps, amputated body parts and isolation waste. According to the findings, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka contributed 50 per cent of COVID-19 biomedical waste generated in May. One of the biggest, yet unattended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid increase in the amount of biomedical waste being generated. From face masks that we throw away to the PPE kits used by healthcare workers and samples collected for testing, there has been a huge increase in the amount of biomedical waste in the country. According to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment, over two lakh kilograms of biomedical waste was generated each day last month by hospitals alone in India. This include cultures, stocks of infectious agents, associated biologicals, human blood and blood products, contaminated sharps, amputated body parts and isolation waste. Although it is a small proportion of the total waste generated (around 1 per cent), it needs special handling due to its highly toxic contents that can pose a severe threat to human health. The State of India's Environment 2021' said 2,03,000 kg of COVID-19 biomedical waste was produced daily in May this year and it was roughly 33 per cent of India's non-COVID biomedical waste. It said the COVID-19 biomedical waste generated per day in May was 46 per cent more than in April when 1.39 lakh kg of such waste was produced daily.

Study points to pileup of biomedical waste

Over two lakh kilograms of biomedical waste was generated each day last month by hospitals in India dealing with COVID-19 patients, a new report revealed. The report titled, “State of India's Environment 2021,” released by the Centre for Science and Environment, said 2,03,000 kg of COVID-19 biomedical waste was produced daily in May this year and it was roughly 33% of India's non-COVID biomedical waste. It said the COVID-19 biomedical waste generated per day in May was 46% more than in April when 1.39 lakh kg of such waste was produced daily. In March, the daily figure was 75,000 kg, according to the report. April and May witnessed a deadly second wave of coronavirus cases that swept through the country stretching the healthcare infrastructure to its limits.