Delhi pollution likely to worsen during weekend

New Delhi, Nov 10: Pollution in Delhi is likely to worsen during the weekend with the day temperature expected to fall by 2-5 degree Celsius and calm winds, thus hampering dispersion of suspended pollutants.

Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) were engulfed in thick smog post Diwali, making the air quality very unhealthy.

According to the weather office, pollution is likely to become worse due to the unfavourable weather conditions.

"Day temperature is likely to fall by 2-5 degree Celsius in the coming two days and would remain below normal and winds are also becoming calm. It is predicted that dispersion of pollutants is not going to happen very fast," Gufran Beig, project director, System of Air Pollution Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), told IANS.

NCR was engulfed in thick smog post Diwali,making the air quality very unhealthy

SAFAR, run by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, is an air quality and weather forecasting model.

"After the passage of the westerly disturbances, the fog conditions would prevail for longer duration at least for next two days. It is expected that pollution will continue to remain in poor category and in some places very poor, if there is no rain," he said.

Beig said the atmospheric condition "will trigger health concerns and people may experience serious health problems."

"Sensitive groups which include children and adults who are active outdoors and people with respiratory diseases may experience problems," he said.

"Currently short duration shallow fog is containing less amount of ultrafine particles, but this may likely contain more pollutants in the coming days as the boundary layer is likely to come down to as low as 100 meters," said Sunil Peshin, head, India Meteorological Department's Environmental Monitoring Research Centre.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) called upon the city government to take stringent action to check vehicular pollution.

"The level of several pollutants has gone up post Diwali due to many reasons. Action must gather momentum to put in place both short term as well as long term pollution control measures," said Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE executive director-research and advocacy.

IANS