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Clean air experts want government to focus on enforcing existing laws to deal with air pollution

The Centre’s new law to deal with the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR is likely to be similar to the US Clean Air Act which empowers the country’s federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take effective action to ensure clean air, said officials privy to the development while flagging how “multiplicity of authorities” have been creating problems at every stage right from taking mitigation measures to enforcement. “The success of this model of creating a powerful permanent body for one airshed (Delhi-NCR) may be replicated for other regions (airsheds) in due course,” said an official, even as clean air experts and environmentalists questioned the move when the country already has two laws to deal with the problem. “Both the State and Centre has enough powers under existing laws, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to take preventive and remedial measures to deal with air pollution,” said Ritwick Dutta, environment lawyer. Dutta, founder of Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), believes that the new law would create confusion when the country has adequate backing from existing laws to deal with the problem. “The multiplicity of laws and institutions will create more confusion on the one hand and friction on the other. There will be a tendency to pass on the blame - that is exactly what we see today. Between the Supreme Court, EPCA, NGT, CPCB and SPCB no one is clear as to what needs to be done,” he said. Other experts too do not appear to be keen on new law at this juncture unless the Centre goes for reforms in various sectors including power, transport and industry to deal with the sources of pollution. “A new law is long-term (measures). It's more urgent to leverage powers and authority conferred under current legislations, build institutional capacity, and address infrastructure deficit to scale up implementation across all sectors and regions,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Another clean air expert Sunil Dahiya, in fact, flagged a number of regulatory issues which, he said, could not be enforced despite backed by existing laws. “The coal-based power plants are still operating illegally in non-compliance of emission standard notification of 2015. The national urban transport policy, 2006 clearly mentions prioritisation of road space utilization. Similarly, waste management rules exist, but it’s still a big issue. These are just a few examples of non-implementation of existing legislations. So, how do we think that having a new legislation without any actual implementation will solve the purpose?” Dutta believes if the government is keen to resolve the issue, it must undertake a thorough review of the various laws and institutions in order to look at their efficacy and utility. “It must have detailed consultation with all relevant stakeholders, especially those outside Delhi which includes farmer groups and small-scale industries and the public at large,” he said.

Centre promises law to check stubble burning

The Centre will bring in a law, via ordinance, to address air pollution as well as check stubble burning in Delhi as well as the surrounding National Capital Region, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Court that a draft legislation would be ready this week following which the Court suspended its earlier decision to have a one-man committee led by former Justice Madan Lokur to monitor stubble burning, exacerbating the region’s noxious air. “The new law is for tackling air pollution in NCR and adjoining areas. It’s an ordinance,” Secretary in the Ministry of Environment R.P. Gupta told The Hindu. However, there appeared to be no consultation so far with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) regarding the proposed legislation. With an increase in stubble burning — the burning of rice straw by farmers to clear their fields for winter sowing in Punjab and Haryana — the MoA has in recent years been tasked with funding the use of subsidised combine harvesters and other machinery to dissuade farmers from burning “The new ordinance is coming from the Environment Ministry and so far no consultations have been held with Agriculture Ministry officials,” said a person in the Minstry aware of inter-ministerial coordination activities to check stubble burning. The Delhi NCR already has a Graded Response Action Plan, which is overseen by the Environment Pollution Authority, that has specified a number of measures that governments must take — from banning diesel gensets to restricting vehicle movement — depending on the degree of pollution. To check stubble burning this kharif (summer) season, the Punjab government has appointed 8,000 nodal officers in villages that grow paddy. Over 23,000 crop residue management machines are being given to farmers for on-site management of straw. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh last week appealed to farmers not to burn crop residue because the practice could aggravate the conditions leading to the spread of COVID-19, besides causing pollution. He said the State was taking measures to sensitise the farmers to the problem and it had been pressing the Centre to give ₹100 per quintal to farmers for managing the paddy straw without burning it. However, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment Anumita Roychowdhury said new legislation was not the need of the hour. “We don't yet know what this proposed law will be about. There are strong laws in place for checking pollution but inadequate infrastructure at the level of State and municipal bodies to implement them. The existing laws could be sharpened no doubt. But what we need now is better enforcement,” she told The Hindu. With the monsoon withdrawing and winter-conditions setting in, air quality in the Delhi-NCR has been deteriorating since last week and dipped to 'poor and very poor' on the air quality index. According to forecasting system, SAFAR, maintained by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the contribution of stubble burning to the worsening air quality was 16% on Monday relative to other sources such as road dust, vehicular emissions and industrial activities. Pollutants from straw burning are brought in by the wind. Instances of burning, or fire counts, as they are called and tracked via satellite, have increased in the last few weeks and increased to nearly 1,200 as of Monday. Central Pollution Control Board officials have said adverse meteorological conditions — a drop in wind speed and lowering of the mixing height (at which pollutants disperse), led to pollutants remaining trapped in the air.

Haryana seeks genset exemption till November 30 for Gurugram

The Haryana power department has sought exemption on the usage of diesel generator (DG) sets for 19 residential societies in Gurugram and Faridabad till November 30, along with the exclusion of Information Technology (IT) companies in Gurugram. On Monday, the department submitted its final take on the diesel genset ban, as directed by the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (Epca). The decision on the November 30 deadline for residential societies and IT industry has been taken by the officials after consultation with Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday. On Monday, Trilok Chand Gupta, additional chief secretary, power department, wrote to Bhure Lal, chairman, Epca, in this regard. A copy of the letter was accessed by HT. In the letter, Gupta said that the ban on diesel genset has been reviewed in detail by the chief minister on October 23, along with departments concerned, including the environment department. “All the issues have been resolved, only in 19 cases, the exemption is sought for maximum up to November 30,” reads the letter. The detailed affidavits of these 19 residential societies in Gurugram and Faridabad have already been sent to the Epca. These societies lack regular electricity connection and are dependent upon diesel generator sets. In their affidavits, colony developers have given four to five different timelines to reach the final process of getting electricity connections. The steps to be taken include the application for a tender, submission of bank guarantee, land and facility to set up the power substation to finally switch from DG set to regular connection. DG sets are banned under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) implemented from October 15 to tackle air pollution from slipping to ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ category during winter months Earlier this week, Epca chairman Bhure Lal directed the Haryana power department to submit a comprehensive affidavit on the power supply to societies still reliant on diesel genset. For the exemption, Epca asked the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) to fix a time frame for residential societies to get the regular power connection. The state has also sought an exemption for IT companies, to allow operation of diesel generator sets as a secondary source of power in case of disruption in supply. “Representatives from Nasscom {National Association of Software and Service Companies} have given a presentation on their issue as these industries run on servers which cannot afford to have a power break of a second,” said Gupta. According to him, these companies will prepare a logbook of DG sets used by them when there is a disruption in the regular electricity supply. “If the IT companies are not considered for an exemption then these companies will have to look for an alternative back up source, like large-size invertors. Otherwise, the department will have to enforce the ban,” said Gupta. Sunita Narain, an environmentalist and Epca member, confirmed that a letter has been received from the Haryana government. She said, “In case of IT companies, they want diesel genset as a backup option. But our question is — how will they manage it? The backup could also become a primary source of power. The issue was raised last year too. A discussion on the societies requiring exemption will be held after going through the detailed affidavits submitted by them.”

Rising pollution, Covid cases a double whammy for Delhi

Rising pollution levels in Delhi-NCR amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has worsened people’s woes. Several experts are concerned that these high pollution levels might aggravate the spread of the coronavirus. Due to the coronavirus lockdown, residents of the national capital had experienced cleaner and fresh air. It’s not unknown that the national capital has been consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities. Delhi is recording severe Air Quality Index (AQI) almost every day. Several studies have pointed out that Covid-19 deaths occur due to long-term exposure to “urban air pollution”. In early October, air quality in Delhi slipped to the “poor” category for the first time in three months. The Delhi government has already started taking the necessary steps to reduce air pollution level in Delhi. On Wednesday, Environment Minister Gopal Rai inaugurated the “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” campaign as part of the state government’s “Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh” (War Against Pollution) initiative. As it is well-known that stubble burning in adjoining states contribute the most to the cities’ rising pollution levels, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai have also kick-started the scheme to covert stubble into compost and avoid the practice of burning it. According to reports, as many as 7,105 stubble burning cases have been reported in various parts of Punjab till 19 October 2020. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director Research and Advocacy, CSE, told The Sunday Guardian: “We know from our past experience that winter pollution is always severe in Delhi and northern India. This winter, in the next few weeks, the levels are going up and the signs are already there. In the winter, we expect to have a huge impact on the respiratory system of the people as this time it’s a double whammy. At one point, the respiratory health will deteriorate for a large vulnerable population due to air pollution and at the same time when your lungs are weak, the risk of catching the Covid infection also increases. This is what the doctors are telling us now. We are worried about this.” She said that due to rising levels of pollutions levels the number of coronavirus cases might also increase in winter. “We need to minimise the exposure to pollution as much as we can. There has to be very stringent actions because at this moment, we are looking at short-term measures. There has to be zero-tolerance for any kind of violation,” Chowdhury said. Asked about how the people can protect themselves, Anumita Roy Chowdhury told The Sunday Guardian: “We are looking at two kinds of protection. One kind of protection exists against the Covid infection and we know that we need to follow guidelines very rigorously with absolute discipline. We have to wear our masks when we go out, we have to follow social distancing norms, etc. That’s absolutely essential as far as prevention against Covid infection is concerned. But at the same time, we will have to take measures to reduce our overall pollution exposure. That means, we have to avoid going out when the pollution levels are high. We need to be responsible citizens and make sure that wastes are not burnt in our neighbourhoods. We need to put pressure on municipalities to implements rules.” It is noteworthy that health problems like heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and high blood pressure that is generally caused due to air pollution, have been identified as the pre-existing medical conditions that raise the chances of death from Covid-19 infection. Emerging research, including a study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has now suggested that breathing more polluted air over many years may itself worsen the effects of Covid-19. The Harvard study is one of several that have now suggested that air pollution is affecting Covid-19 mortality. Researchers analysing 120 cities in China found a significant relationship between air pollution and Covid-19 infection, and of the coronavirus deaths across 66 regions in Italy, Spain, France and Germany, 78% of them occurred in five of the most polluted regions. Meanwhile, there’s also evidence from previous outbreaks like SARS, which was also a coronavirus, as well as many other respiratory infections including influenza, that breathing more polluted air increased risks of death. Another study by Harvard University study shows that an increase of only one microgram per cubic metre in PM 2.5—dangerous tiny pollutants in the air—is associated with an 8% increase in the Covid-19 death rate. Another similar study by scientists at the UK’s University of Cambridge also found a link between the severity of Covid-19 infection and long-term exposure to air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and ground-level ozone from car exhaust fumes or burning of fossil fuels. According to reports, the PM2.5 levels in Delhi have averaged around 180-300 micrograms per cubic metre in recent weeks and this is 12 times higher than the WHO’s safe limits. Delhi-NCR is battling with two massive health challenges that are both targeting the respiratory system and rising at the same time.

Delhi: What did the Covid-19 lockdown teach scientists about controlling pollution levels?

In April, amidst the economic distress caused by the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Delhi residents noticed a rare phenomenon: blue skies. As econonomic activity ground to a halt, most factories stayed shut, construction projects were suspended and there were barely any vehicles on the streets. As a consequence, most of the sources that scientists had identified as causing atmospheric pollution in the Capital declined sharply. This transformed the city – among the most polluted in the world – into a giant, real-life laboratory for researchers. Said MP George, a scientist at Delhi Pollution Control Committee: “It is the rarest set of data that policy makers and standard makers can use.” So what did researchers learn from the low pollution levels during the summer lockdown? And as levels rise again, already hitting the “severe” mark on the weekend, what can this research tell us about developing strategies to control pollution and manage risk? What the data shows Over the years, there have been several studies about the poor air quality in Delhi. Sources of pollutants in the city range from “vehicles, re-suspended dust, industrial activities, burning of coal, dung and wood for cooking and heating...” noted a recent paper in Current Science. “Crop burning and dust storms on seasonal basis also contribute significantly to extreme pollution events.” In 2016, a study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, showed that vehicular emissions mainly from trucks were one of the largest, most consistent sources of pollution in the city. The study also noted that in the summer, coal and fly ash contributes 30% of the the city’s PM 10 pollutants – particulate matter of size up to 10 microns. These particles come from coal-fired power plants as well as from tandoors. Soil and road dust contri Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (or about a ten-thousandth of an inch) is particularly dangerous to human health. Such particles are small enough to travel deep into the respiratory system, potentially impariting lung function. To be considered safe, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards require PM 2.5 concentration be less than 60 micrograms per cubic metre of air in any given 24 hour period. For this article, Scroll.in focussed on four air-quality monitoring stations spread around Delhi – RK Puram in South Delhi, Anand Vihar in East Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Central Delhi and Jahangirpuri in North West Delhi. All four stations are monitored by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, an autonomous body under the Delhi government. The monthly averages of PM 2.5 and PM 10 for each month from January till May were considered. The low pollution levels during this period were not just a result of the lockdown, experts said: a higher wind speed and other meteorological conditions also played a role. The charts below, show that levels of particulate matter levels had actually started to decline from January before lockdown and then stayed at nearly consistent levels between March and May. For instance, all four stations recorded low levels in March and these decreased gradually through April. Three stations, except for RK Puram, recorded the lowest PM 2.5 levels in April with a slight increase in the beginning of May. During lockdown, pollutants declined by 85% to 90%, according to the paper published in Current Science on October 10. The study was conducted after the lockdown was imposed in March, and continued through April and May. The 11 authors of the study were drawn from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Indian Meteorological Department and Utkal University in Bhubaneshwar. With virtually all major sources of pollutant emissions halted, the prolonged lockdown offered the researchers a unique opportunity to estimate the “baseline concentration” of various pollutants in the Capital, they wrote. This is the level of pollutants produced due to natural sources and stays steady in the absence of any additional sources of emissions. Because the lockdown was nationwide, pollution from other places that floated into Delhi was minimum. This kind of emissions situation had not been available before for researchers to study. The information helps researchers understand the lowest levels of pollution levels possible in Delhi and will help formulate policies to use these levels as the standard to target. This data is crucial as it helps define the national ambient air quality standards, said George, who is one of the authors of the paper. Rising ozone levels Curiously, the study found that while levels of primary pollutants were low, the levels of ozone in the atmosphere had increased. Another study conducted from January 2019 till May 2020 by the Centre for Science and Environment found a similar trend in rising ozone levels even as it recorded low levels of pollution during the summer months. “During February-May, at least on 23 days, ozone has emerged as the dominant pollutant,” the study said. “These are the early signs of a dangerous trend.” Doctors say that ozone is dangerous for the patients with respiratory ailments and could worsen heart disease. Why did this happen? “That is the complex chemistry,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment. Despite most industrial activities coming to a halt, gases were still being released in the air, particularly nitrogen dioxide and some volatile organic compounds, Chowdhury explained. “Once these gases are in the air then they react with each other under the influence of sunlight,” she said. “That forms ozone.” George explained that the ozone levels increased with rising temperatures and a reduction in dust concentrations. “There was no dust, otherwise we have a blessing in disguise that the ultraviolet rays get filtered out because of it,” he said. “Here, what happened, because of lockdown, the dust was gone so we got more ozone.” Finding solutions For Delhi to lower the pollution levels, the problem must be considered at a regional level rather than at the state level, both experts said. “We are in the disadvantaged location,” said George. “We are landlocked and located on the Indo-Gangetic plane which means high dust. We have to talk about airshed-based management. There is no other way.” The airshed approach considers “the entire area over which the pollutants disperse due to meteorological and geographical factors”. Chowdhury added that Delhi had to do a lot more to control the pollution from transport and waste management sectors. “Delhi has not yet been able to figure out how to reduce the volume of traffic and that is because of the gap in the public transport and infrastructure,” she said. The air quality in Delhi gets worse during the winter. One of the major causes of this is the burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states such as Haryana and Punjab. This smoke coupled with falling temperatures and decreasing wind speeds create the conditions for Delhi to become a gas chamber. Delhi’s Graded Response Action Plan formulated in 2017 requires specific measures to be taken in case pollution breaches certain levels. For instance, construction comes to a halt, diesel generators are not allowed to run and vehicular movement is restricted. “Normally every winter we do the odd-even, intensify public transport services but this winter it will be tough to do that because of social distancing,” said Chowdhury, referring to the programme that allows vehicles with odd-numbered licence plates on the road on dates with odd numbers and those with even-numbered plates on others.

Six things govt did to control pollution, but how effective were they?

With Delhi facing an impending air crisis -- a glimpse of which the city got on Friday when the air quality plunged to ‘severe’ levels in at least 12 of the 35 pollution monitoring stations -- the Delhi government is scrambling to firefight the annual air problem. But it may be a case of “too little, too late”, say pollution experts. With the city’s air continuing to remain ‘very poor’ with a reading of 345 on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s air quality index, the BJP and the Congress accused the AAP-led Delhi government of inaction. “We have asked the government to get the roads repaired, improve the public transport system and plan flyovers on congested road stretches,” said BJP MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly. Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary pointed out that even with a lot of work left to be done to control local sources of pollution, the AAP government is busy pinning the blame on neighbouring states for stubble burning. “Stubble burning is only a component; we also have vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, unchecked construction activities and open burning,” Chaudhury said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment, said for concrete results, agencies have to work round the year. “Last moment measures will not work. Winter action is only firefighting,” she said. HT takes a look at six steps taken by the Delhi government to control pollution and their effectiveness. Transplantation policy Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, earlier this month, had announced the tree transplantation policy, aimed at increasing the green cover and keeping better checks on construction agencies. But this was met with criticism from experts, who said transplantation seldom ensures survival of trees. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, said, “Which neighbourhood doesn’t need trees? The policy isn’t about saving trees, but the loss of several hundreds of trees from a neighbourhood.” ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign In a city where over 10 million vehicles are registered, vehicular emission control is crucial. Towards that end, the government launched the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign, to get motorists to turn off the ignition while idling at traffic signals. Over 2,500 volunteers have been deployed at over 100 traffic signals to make the campaign a success. Anti-dust campaign Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai had announced stricter monitoring of construction sites across the city. All major sites, operating in an area over 2,000 sqm, were ordered to mandatorily install two antismog guns, for regular water sprinkling. Other measures such as covering the site by tin sheets and covering construction material with green covers have also been made mandatory.

Six things govt did to control pollution, but how effective were they?

With Delhi facing an impending air crisis -- a glimpse of which the city got on Friday when the air quality plunged to ‘severe’ levels in at least 12 of the 35 pollution monitoring stations -- the Delhi government is scrambling to firefight the annual air problem. But it may be a case of “too little, too late”, say pollution experts. With the city’s air continuing to remain ‘very poor’ with a reading of 345 on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s air quality index, the BJP and the Congress accused the AAP-led Delhi government of inaction. “We have asked the government to get the roads repaired, improve the public transport system and plan flyovers on congested road stretches,” said BJP MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly. Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary pointed out that even with a lot of work left to be done to control local sources of pollution, the AAP government is busy pinning the blame on neighbouring states for stubble burning. “Stubble burning is only a component; we also have vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, unchecked construction activities and open burning,” Chaudhury said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment, said for concrete results, agencies have to work round the year. “Last moment measures will not work. Winter action is only firefighting,” she said. HT takes a look at six steps taken by the Delhi government to control pollution and their effectiveness. Transplantation policy Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, earlier this month, had announced the tree transplantation policy, aimed at increasing the green cover and keeping better checks on construction agencies. But this was met with criticism from experts, who said transplantation seldom ensures survival of trees. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, said, “Which neighbourhood doesn’t need trees? The policy isn’t about saving trees, but the loss of several hundreds of trees from a neighbourhood.” ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign In a city where over 10 million vehicles are registered, vehicular emission control is crucial. Towards that end, the government launched the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign, to get motorists to turn off the ignition while idling at traffic signals. Over 2,500 volunteers have been deployed at over 100 traffic signals to make the campaign a success. Anti-dust campaign Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai had announced stricter monitoring of construction sites across the city. All major sites, operating in an area over 2,000 sqm, were ordered to mandatorily install two antismog guns, for regular water sprinkling. Other measures such as covering the site by tin sheets and covering construction material with green covers have also been made mandatory.

कोरोना के बीच दिल्ली-एनसीआर के प्रदूषण को संभाल पाएगी सरकार?

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा में प्रदूषण का स्तर इस साल फिर बढ़ गया है. दिल्ली के 36 मॉनीटरिंग स्टेशन के डेटा के मुताबिक़ हवा की क्वालिटी 'गंभीर रूप से ख़राब' श्रेणी में पहुँच गई है. मुमकिन है कि जिस वक़्त आप ये कहानी पढ़ रहे हैं, हवा की गुणवत्ता और ख़राब हो चुकी हो. लेकिन ये हाल सिर्फ़ दिल्ली का नहीं है. पूरे उत्तर भारत में हवा की गुणवत्ता ख़राब हो रही है. सर्दियों की शुरुआत में तापमान गिरा है और हवा की गति कम हुई है. इसके साथ ही आसपास के इलाक़ों में पराली जलाये जाने से स्थिति बदतर होती जा रही है. पर्यावरणविद और एनसीआर की पर्यावरण प्रदूषण (रोकथाम और नियंत्रण) प्राधिकरण की सदस्य सुनीता नारायण बताती हैं, "आगे बहुत तेज़ ठण्ड आने वाली है. मैं इस साल बहुत डरी हुई हूँ. कोविड-19 के साथ ये दोहरी मार हो सकती है क्योंकि वायरस हमारे फेफड़ों पर उसी तरह हमला करता है, जैसे हवा में प्रदूषण. इसलिए हमें प्रभावी क़दम उठाने की ज़रूरत है."

जहरीली हुई दिल्ली-NCR की हवा, आज और बिगड़ सकती है स्थिति; 400 के पार जा सकता है एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा अब दमघोंटू होने लगी है, क्योंकि पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाए जाने के असर के चलते दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण खराब स्थिति में पहुंच गया है। जानकारों का मानना है कि अगर हवा की दिशा और रफ्तार में बदलाव नहीं हुआ तो अगले दो दिनों तक ऐसी ही स्थिति बनी रह सकती है। शनिवार को हालात और बिगड़ सकते हैं। एयर इंडेक्स 400 का आंकड़ा पार कर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच सकता है। हवा की कम रफ्तार ने बढ़ाया प्रदूषण हवा की रफ्तार कम होने और पराली का धुआं बढ़ने से इस साल अक्टूबर के तीसरे सप्ताह में ही खतरनाक हालात बन गए हैं। आलम यह है कि शुक्रवार को हवा इस सीजन की सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित रही। वहीं, सफर इंडिया का कहना है कि बृहस्पतिवार को पंजाब-हरियाणा में पराली जलाने के 1,231 केस सामने आए। दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में पराली के धुएं की हिस्सेदारी 17 फीसद तक रही। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में 300 के पार ही रहा AQI दिल्ली-एनसीआर में सभी जगह एयर इंडेक्स 300 के पार हो गया। यह हवा की बहुत खराब श्रेणी है। वहीं, दिल्ली के 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 से ऊपर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच गया। ऐसे हालात को देखते हुए केंद्रीय पृथ्वी विज्ञान मंत्रलय के अधीन आने वाली वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी संस्था सफर इंडिया और पर्यावरण संरक्षण एवं प्रदूषण नियंत्रण प्राधिकरण (ईपीसीए) ने लोगों को अनावश्यक रूप से घर से बाहर नहीं निकलने की सलाह दी है। सुबह सैर के लिए जाने वालों को सांस की परेशानी दरअसल, बृहस्पतिवार रात से फिर से उत्तर-पश्चिमी हवा बह रही थी और इसकी गति भी 10 किलोमीटर प्रति घंटे से कम रही। नतीजा, स्मॉग के साथ-साथ प्रदूषण भी बढ़ने लगा। शुक्रवार सुबह दिल्ली-एनसीआर के लोगों ने आंखें खोलीं तो बाहर खासा धुंधलका छाया था। सुबह की सैर के लिए जाने वाले लोगों को सांस लेने में परेशानी झेलनी पड़ी। वहीं, ईपीसीए की सदस्य सुनीता नारायण ने बताया कि सभी एजेंसियों को प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए सभी कोशिशें करने के लिए कहा गया है। जरूरत पड़ने पर कुछ और सख्त निर्णय लिए जाएंगे। दिल्ली के इन 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 के पार शादीपुर विवेक विहार आनंद विहार वजीरपुर जहांगीरपुरी पटपड़गंज

जहरीली हुई दिल्ली-NCR की हवा, आज और बिगड़ सकती है स्थिति; 400 के पार जा सकता है एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा अब दमघोंटू होने लगी है, क्योंकि पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाए जाने के असर के चलते दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण खराब स्थिति में पहुंच गया है। जानकारों का मानना है कि अगर हवा की दिशा और रफ्तार में बदलाव नहीं हुआ तो अगले दो दिनों तक ऐसी ही स्थिति बनी रह सकती है। शनिवार को हालात और बिगड़ सकते हैं। एयर इंडेक्स 400 का आंकड़ा पार कर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच सकता है। हवा की कम रफ्तार ने बढ़ाया प्रदूषण हवा की रफ्तार कम होने और पराली का धुआं बढ़ने से इस साल अक्टूबर के तीसरे सप्ताह में ही खतरनाक हालात बन गए हैं। आलम यह है कि शुक्रवार को हवा इस सीजन की सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित रही। वहीं, सफर इंडिया का कहना है कि बृहस्पतिवार को पंजाब-हरियाणा में पराली जलाने के 1,231 केस सामने आए। दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में पराली के धुएं की हिस्सेदारी 17 फीसद तक रही। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में 300 के पार ही रहा AQI दिल्ली-एनसीआर में सभी जगह एयर इंडेक्स 300 के पार हो गया। यह हवा की बहुत खराब श्रेणी है। वहीं, दिल्ली के 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 से ऊपर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच गया। ऐसे हालात को देखते हुए केंद्रीय पृथ्वी विज्ञान मंत्रलय के अधीन आने वाली वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी संस्था सफर इंडिया और पर्यावरण संरक्षण एवं प्रदूषण नियंत्रण प्राधिकरण (ईपीसीए) ने लोगों को अनावश्यक रूप से घर से बाहर नहीं निकलने की सलाह दी है। सुबह सैर के लिए जाने वालों को सांस की परेशानी दरअसल, बृहस्पतिवार रात से फिर से उत्तर-पश्चिमी हवा बह रही थी और इसकी गति भी 10 किलोमीटर प्रति घंटे से कम रही। नतीजा, स्मॉग के साथ-साथ प्रदूषण भी बढ़ने लगा। शुक्रवार सुबह दिल्ली-एनसीआर के लोगों ने आंखें खोलीं तो बाहर खासा धुंधलका छाया था। सुबह की सैर के लिए जाने वाले लोगों को सांस लेने में परेशानी झेलनी पड़ी। वहीं, ईपीसीए की सदस्य सुनीता नारायण ने बताया कि सभी एजेंसियों को प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए सभी कोशिशें करने के लिए कहा गया है। जरूरत पड़ने पर कुछ और सख्त निर्णय लिए जाएंगे। दिल्ली के इन 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 के पार शादीपुर विवेक विहार आनंद विहार वजीरपुर जहांगीरपुरी पटपड़गंज

Delhi suffocates, hours after Trump described India's air quality as 'filthy'

New Delhi was blanketed in a noxious haze Friday as air pollution levels in parts of the city soared to "severe" levels, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump described the air in the vast nation as "filthy." Smoke from agricultural burning, vehicle fumes and industrial emissions – combined with cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds that trap pollutants over the city – turns air in the Indian capital into a toxic soup every winter. Air pollution in New Delhi and surrounding cities on Friday was at its worst in eight months, with the air quality index surging above 300 on a scale of 500, indicating "emergency conditions." The air quality index at Delhi's 36 pollution monitoring sites – which monitors tiny PM2.5 and PM10 particles that get into the bloodstream and vital organs – was between 282 and 446, pushing levels into the "severe" category, the Central Pollution Control Board said. The "good" category is between 0-50, the government's environmental watchdog added. A "significant increase in stubble fire count" to 1,213 in the Haryana and Punjab states was the highest of the season and made up 17% of Delhi's PM2.5 levels, the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research added Friday. "Further deterioration of (air quality) is expected for the two days," SAFAR said. The worsening conditions came as Trump complained that climate change policies were unfair to the U.S. Defending the clean air in the United States, Trump made the comment during his final debate on Thursday with Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election, saying, "Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia, look at India – it's filthy. The air is filthy." Trump turned to India to defend his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, said an environmental expert. The U.S. president claimed that Biden's climate plan was an "economic disaster" for oil states such as Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Biden said that climate change is "an existential threat to humanity. We have a moral obligation to deal with it." Trump's remarks come days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper visit New Delhi for talks on building the growing U.S.-India partnership. At the first presidential debate, Trump also spoke critically of India, questioning its COVID-19 data amid criticism of his handling of the pandemic. Scientists warned this year's pollution season would make Delhi's 20 million residents more vulnerable to COVID-19. "Air pollution increases the risk of noncommunicable diseases – the same underlying conditions that make people more likely to experience severe illness or death from COVID-19," epidemiologist Sumi Mehta from the global nonprofit Vital Strategies told Agence France Presse (AFP). Health care systems, stretched by the pandemic, could be further stressed by more hospitalizations from pollution-related illnesses, researchers added. "There are serious worries that during winter when higher air pollution levels, in any case, worsens respiratory illness and increases hospitalization, the vulnerability to COVID-19 may be further enhanced," Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said. The chief medical officer of Gurugram city near New Delhi, Virender Yadav, told The Times of India Thursday some recovering COVID-19 patients were experiencing a reoccurrence of respiratory conditions triggered by the heightened air pollution. The planet has already warmed by around 1 degree Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit) from preindustrial levels, enough to boost the intensity of deadly heatwaves, droughts and tropical storms.

Air pollution contributed to 6.7 million annual deaths globally in 2019, India faced 1.67 million deaths due to dirty air, says State of Global Air report

Long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution contributed to over 6.7 million annual deaths globally, including 1.67 million in India, from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, and neonatal diseases in 2019, says the annual 'State of Global Air 2020' report, released on Wednesday. “Overall, air pollution is now the fourth highest cause of death among all health risks, ranking just below smoking and poor diet,” said the report, released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent, non-profit research institute funded jointly by the US Environmental Protection Agency, industry, foundations, and development banks. As far as India is concerned, air pollution, overall, is now the largest risk factor for death among all health risks in the country. The HEI, which for the first time did a comprehensive analysis of air pollution’s global impact on new-borns, found that “outdoor and household particulate matter (PM) pollution” contributed to the deaths of nearly 5,00,000 infants globally, including 1,16,000 Infants in India, in their first month of life. The report noted that nearly two-thirds of those deaths were linked to use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung for cooking, saying the most deaths for the youngest infants were related to complications from low birth weight and preterm birth. This report's findings, based on the most recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in the international medical journal The Lancet, comes as Covid-19 has claimed more than 1 million lives. Although the full links between air pollution and Covid-19 are not yet known, the report claimed that there was clear evidence linking air pollution and increased heart and lung disease creating a growing concern that exposures to high levels of air pollution, especially those commonly experienced in countries of South and East Asia, could exacerbate the effects of Covid-19. “The interaction of Covid-19 with the continued global rise in chronic illness and related risk factors, including obesity, high blood sugar, and outdoor air pollution, over the past 30 years has created a perfect storm, fuelling Covid-19 deaths,” said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, who led the GBD research. In India, the study found progress in reducing “household air pollution exposures” but it said the levels were stagnant for outdoor PM2.5. It said more than half of these deaths in India were associated with outdoor PM2.5 and others were linked to use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung for cooking. “This evidence is a stark reminder of unrelenting and continuous worsening of health risk from air pollution in India. Not only the absolute death burden from PM2.5 is high, but it has also increased the maximum - by as much as 61% between 2010 and 2019. This gets more complex with ozone related deaths also recording the highest jump of 84%,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, air pollution expert and executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Reacting to the findings, she said, “Only ‘chulha’ pollution related health risk has declined due to improved access to clean energy. But the biggest shocker this time is the global evidence that air pollution accounts for 20% of new-born deaths worldwide, due to complications of low birth weight and preterm birth and mother’s toxic exposure. Imagine its implication for India with one of the highest deaths and disease burdens from air pollution. This only reaffirms why the national clean air programme has to be more exacting, legally binding and be the central focus of the green economic recovery agenda.”

सर्दियों में कोरोना और प्रदूषण की दोहरी मार

कई जानकार ये कह रहे हैं कि सर्दियां बढ़ने के बाद भारत में कोरोना वायरस का ख़तरा और बढ़ सकता है. तो क्या इस डबल ख़तरे से बचाने की कोई तैयारी हो रही है? यही जानने के लिए बीबीसी संवाददाता जुगल पुरोहित ने बात की पर्यावरणविद् सुनीता नारायण से.