Delhi struggles to breath a day after Diwali, air quality 'very poor'

Just a day after the National Capital celebrated the Diwali - the festival of lights, and fire crackers were burst in most parts of the city, citizens of the Capital woke up to smog engulfed city, making it difficult to breathe and see - thanks to poor visibility. This after the Supreme Court of India banned the sale of fire crackers after the environmental crisis in the city after last year's Diwali celebrations.

The air quality as recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on October 19 read 'very poor', with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 319, with the presence of particulate matter PM2.5, PM10 - the two deadliest components of air pollution. Noida recorded an AQI of 266 with the presence of PM2.5, which is better than Delhi and read 'poor'.

According to the real time record of National Air Quality Index, on October 20 at 3 pm the AQI recorded is at 389 with the presence of PM2.5 and reads 'very poor'.

The level of concentration in the presence of PM2.5 and PM10 is recorded at 407 and 595 respectively making the condition read as severe according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) of the Union ministry of earth sciences - the normal range for the components being 100µg/m³ for PM10 and 60µg/m³ for PM2.5. Which means that the increase in the presence of these components have seen a steep rise way over the satisfactory limit.

According to SAFAR as recorded on October 20th, concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 was recorded at 438 and 448 respectively, making the condition 'severe' in Noida.

The rise in pollution levels come despite a ban by the Supreme Court on the sale of fire crackers as a step to curb the pollution in the city, after last year's severe air pollution which led to shutting down of schools and colleges for a few days after Diwali. However, this year, Delhi for sure witnessed some reduction in the pollution level, but in some places, the crisis was worse than that of last year.

The ban on the sale of fire crackers did show its effect, but not to a great extent as last numbers of fire crackers was burst in many parts of the city.

BJP's Tejinder Bagga and RP Singh also distributed crackers to children. Bagga said tat the ban is on the sale of crackers and not on bursting or distributing. The decision of the SC was not welcomed by all, despite being a step to curb air pollution in the city. Many said that it was a very unnecessary decision claiming that fire crackers are not the only reasosn for pollution in the city.

Fire crackers associations and traders also raised their voice against the ban and said that it was an 'attack on Hindu festivals', they has even submitted a review petition to the Supreme Court to relax the ban, but the Top Court rejected.

The sudden rise in the amount of pollution in the city makes it clear that the only reason behind the hike is fire crackers and the SC's was well-thought.

OneIndia News