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India pollution and extreme heat discussion

This is quite alarming tbh. My friend told me when he went to Beijing that its so polluted that you cant wear a white coloured garment. It turns black.
 
To curb pollution strict laws are needed but governments are afraid to do it. They fear loss of popularity and loss of business.
 
No need to address pollution, it’s a complete non issue. We have so many more pressing issues to be handled like winning elections by hook or by crook, buying lawmakers, hounding opposition leaders, meeting Bollywood personalities, personal PR, foreign visits, Hindu-Muslim, event management, cows, name change, Ayodhya, conversions, love jihad, 370, triple talaq, kabristan, Shamshan etc etc.
 
Five million masks are being distributed at schools in India's capital, Delhi, after pollution made the air so toxic officials were forced to declare a public health emergency.

A Supreme Court-mandated panel imposed several restrictions in the city and two neighbouring states, as air quality deteriorated to "severe" levels.

Dangerous particulate levels in the air are about 20 times the WHO maximum.

The city's schools have also been closed until at least next Tuesday.

All construction has been halted for a week and fireworks have been banned. From Monday, the city will introduce a temporary scheme so that only cars with odd or even numbered licence plates can drive on given days, in a bid to cut traffic pollution.

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the city had been turned into a "gas chamber".

The masks are being handed out to students and their parents, and Mr Kejriwal has asked people to use them as much as possible.

The levels of tiny particulate matter (known as PM2.5) that enter deep into the lungs are 533 micrograms per cubic metre in the city. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the PM2.5 levels should not be more than 25 micrograms per cubic metre on average in 24 hours.

How thick is the pollution?
As thick white smog blanketed the city, residents started tweeting pictures of their surroundings.

Photos of German leader Angela Merkel's official visit showed the obscuring effect of the smog at the presidential palace - though both leaders ignored the declared public health emergency and declined to wear masks.

Some workers were being told to work from home to avoid the pollution.

One account director at market research firm Kantar, which employs several hundred people in the city, told Reuters staff had been told not to come in on Monday.

Many local residents are furious that the situation remains the same year after year. Municipal workers and vulnerable groups have been given thousands of free high-grade N95 masks in recent years.

"I didn't realise how bad it would get," one resident said. "Do we really want our kids to grow up in such an environment? No-one really cares, no-one wants to improve the situation."

The hashtags #DelhiAirQuality and #FightAgainstDelhiPollition are trending on Twitter.

The thick smog also raised concerns for the weekend's cricket clash between India and Bangladesh. A 2017 match in similar polluted conditions led to Sri Lankan players vomiting on the pitch.

But Bangladesh's coach said that despite "scratchy eyes" and sore throats among his players, the game would go ahead.

"No-one is dying," Russell Domingo told the Press Trust of India.

"Look, there's a bit of pollution in Bangladesh as well, so it's a not a massive shock unlike some other countries. The players have just got on with the game and haven't complained too much about it," he said.

Why is the pollution so bad?
One of the main reasons for air quality in the city worsening every year in November and December is that farmers in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana burn crop stubble to clear their fields. It's made worse by the fireworks during the Hindu festival of Diwali.

There are other reasons too, including construction dust, factory and vehicular emissions, but farm fires remain the biggest culprit.

More than two million farmers burn 23 million tonnes of crop residue on some 80,000 sq km of farmland in northern India every winter.

The stubble smoke is a lethal cocktail of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

Using satellite data, Harvard University researchers estimated that nearly half of Delhi's air pollution between 2012 and 2016 was due to stubble burning.

The burning is so widespread that it even shows up in satellite photos from Nasa.

What are PM 2.5 particles?

Particulate matter, or PM, 2.5 is a type of pollution involving fine particles less than 2.5 microns (0.0025mm) in diameter

A second type, PM 10, is of coarser particles with a diameter of up to 10 microns

Some occur naturally - e.g. from dust storms and forest fires, others from human industrial processes

They often consist of fragments that are small enough to reach the lungs or, in the smallest cases, to cross into the bloodstream as well

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50258947
 
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It's a hellhole every year. Way too over populated and public is one of the stupidest in the world. Delhi is the worst place in the world to raise your kids (excluding war torn nations).

Horrific environment, every breath is full of toxicity. You can feel it.
 
Stubble burning causes 44% of the total pollution of Delhi. But no one has the guts to stop it. This is bloody ridiculous.
 
Pathetic, it's a hellhole. You can literally feel the toxics go in your body with every breath you take in. Worst city to live in, over populated and polluted. No one gives a damn about and same thing happens each year. If you have the chance run away from this disgusting city
 
Air pollution in the north of India has "reached unbearable levels," the capital Delhi's Chief Minister Arvid Kejriwal says.

In many areas of Delhi air quality deteriorated into the "hazardous" category on Sunday with the potential to cause respiratory illnesses.

Authorities have urged people to stay inside to protect themselves.

Mr Kejriwal called on the central government to provide relief and tackle the toxic pollution.

How a food crisis led to Delhi’s foul smog
Schools have been closed, more than 30 flights diverted and construction work halted as the city sits in a thick blanket of smog.

Only cars with odd or even number plates can drive on given days in a bid to reduce pollution
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain advised the city's residents to "avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening hours".

The advisory also said people should wear anti-pollution masks, avoid polluted areas and keep doors and windows closed.

How bad is the smog?

Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are far higher than recommended and about seven times higher than in the Chinese capital Beijing.

An Indian health ministry official said the city's pollution monitors did not have enough digits to accurately record pollution levels, which he called a "disaster".

Five million masks were handed out in schools on Friday as officials declared a public health emergency and Mr Kejriwal likened the city to a "gas chamber".

The World Health Organization (WHO) says a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.

"This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco," the WHO says on its website.

How are people reacting?
Mr Kejriwal's most recent comments are unlikely to please government officials, reports the BBC's South Asia regional editor Jill McGivering. She said Indian politicians were blaming each other for the conditions.

On Sunday young people in Delhi came out to protest and demand action.

"You can obviously see how terrible it is and it's actually scary you can't see things in front of you," said Jaivipra.

She said she wanted long-term and sustainable anti-pollution measures put in place.

"We are concerned about our futures and about our health but we are also fighting this on behalf of the children and the elderly who bear the biggest brunt of the problem here," she said.

Some ministers have sparked controversy on social media by suggesting light-hearted measures to stay healthy.

Harsh Vardhan, the union minister for health and family welfare, urged people to eat carrots to protect against "night blindness" and "other pollution-related harm to health".

Meanwhile, Prakash Javadekar, the minister of the environment, suggested that you should "start your day with music", adding a link to a "scintillating thematic composition".

"Is that the reason you have turned deaf ears to our plight on pollution?" one Twitter user responded. "Seems you are too busy hearing music that you are not able to hear us!"

What's caused the pollution?
A major factor behind the high pollution levels at this time of year is farmers in neighbouring states burning crop stubble to clear their fields.

This creates a lethal cocktail of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide - all worsened by fireworks set off during the Hindu festival Diwali a week ago.

Vehicle fumes, construction and industrial emissions have also contributed to the smog.

Indians are hoping that scattered rainfall over the coming week will wash away the pollutants but this is not due until Thursday.



https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50280390
 
Man this must be really bad. I thought it must be an inconvenience but sth you should suck up and manage.

But one of my friends parents have moved for about 10 days to a different city to avoid this and that is really a drastic measure.
 
Slog said:
Man this must be really bad. I thought it must be an inconvenience but sth you should suck up and manage.

But one of my friends parents have moved for about 10 days to a different city to avoid this and that is really a drastic measure.
Click to expand...

Moved from which city bro? Lahore?

I have heard that Delhi and Lahore are supposed to be the worst in the world for this problem but it seems that in terms of news articles only delhi is mentioned
 
gkb101277867 said:
Moved from which city bro? Lahore?

I have heard that Delhi and Lahore are supposed to be the worst in the world for this problem but it seems that in terms of news articles only delhi is mentioned
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No it’s my indian friend from college.

I think they moved to dehradun they have a house there

Lahore’s very bad too but not sure if comparable to Delhi
 
Air pollution in the north of India has "reached unbearable levels," the capital Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says.

In many areas of Delhi air quality deteriorated into the "hazardous" category on Sunday with the potential to cause respiratory illnesses.

Authorities have urged people to stay inside to protect themselves.

Mr Kejriwal called on the central government to provide relief and tackle the toxic pollution.

Schools have been closed, more than 30 flights diverted and construction work halted as the city sits in a thick blanket of smog.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain advised the city's residents to "avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening hours".

The advisory also said people should wear anti-pollution masks, avoid polluted areas and keep doors and windows closed.

How bad is the smog?

Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are far higher than recommended and about seven times higher than in the Chinese capital Beijing.

An Indian health ministry official said the city's pollution monitors did not have enough digits to accurately record pollution levels, which he called a "disaster".

Skip Twitter post by @Varun_JhaveriEnd of Twitter post by @Varun_Jhaveri
Five million masks were handed out in schools on Friday as officials declared a public health emergency and Mr Kejriwal likened the city to a "gas chamber".

The World Health Organization (WHO) says a third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.

"This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco," the WHO says on its website.

How are people reacting?
Mr Kejriwal's most recent comments are unlikely to please government officials, reports the BBC's South Asia regional editor Jill McGivering. She said Indian politicians were blaming each other for the conditions.

On Sunday young people in Delhi came out to protest and demand action.

"You can obviously see how terrible it is and it's actually scary you can't see things in front of you," said Jaivipra.

She said she wanted long-term and sustainable anti-pollution measures put in place.

"We are concerned about our futures and about our health but we are also fighting this on behalf of the children and the elderly who bear the biggest brunt of the problem here," she said.

Some ministers have sparked controversy on social media by suggesting light-hearted measures to stay healthy.

Harsh Vardhan, the union minister for health and family welfare, urged people to eat carrots to protect against "night blindness" and "other pollution-related harm to health".

Meanwhile, Prakash Javadekar, the minister of the environment, suggested that you should "start your day with music", adding a link to a "scintillating thematic composition".

"Is that the reason you have turned deaf ears to our plight on pollution?" one Twitter user responded. "Seems you are too busy hearing music that you are not able to hear us!"

What's caused the pollution?
A major factor behind the high pollution levels at this time of year is farmers in neighbouring states burning crop stubble to clear their fields.

This creates a lethal cocktail of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide - all worsened by fireworks set off during the Hindu festival Diwali a week ago.

Vehicle fumes, construction and industrial emissions have also contributed to the smog.

Indians are hoping that scattered rainfall over the coming week will wash away the pollutants but this is not due until Thursday.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50280390.
 
Slog said:
Lahore’s very bad too but not sure if comparable to Delhi
Click to expand...
Just read in newspapers that Delhi (1045) had its PM2.5 7 times higher than that of Lahore (165) yesterday.
 
Its alarming for any country when their major city or capital is in that list. But I wonder what are the reasons behind Delhi's ranking. Population I am guessing is one.
 
Delhi pollution: SC bans all construction activities in NCR, Rs 1 lakh fine for violations

Taking up the issue of air pollution in Delhi, the Supreme Court Monday banned all construction activities and garbage burning in the National Capital Region (NCR), with a fine of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5,000 respectively for those violating the order.


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In a stinging observation, the court said state governments should be held legally responsible for “allowing people in neighbouring places to die”. “Who is responsible? The state governments are responsible. They are only interested in electioneering. They are allowing people in neighbouring places to die. They have to be actionable in tort,” a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said.

“Delhi has been choking every year and we have not been able to do anything…This can’t be done in a civilised society… Goverments are only passing the buck…Why should there be crop burning?” the court asked.

The Supreme Court is considering the report submitted by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) — a panel it had appointed — on Delhi’s pollution and also taking up issues like stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

The amicus curiae, senior advocate Aparajita Singh, Monday informed the court that as per the Centre’s affidavit, crop burning had gone up by 7 per cent in Punjab, but reduced by 17 per cent in Haryana.

“No one is safe even inside homes; this is atrocious. Can we survive in this atmosphere? This is not the way we can survive. This (situation in Delhi) is worse than Emergency. That Emergency was better than this emergency,” the court said.

It also observed that gram pradhans, police personnel and local officials who do not control stubble burning should be removed from their posts.

Air quality in Delhi continued to be in the severe category on Monday, even as the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) called a review meeting on the issue on Sunday. A statement released by the PMO said that the Cabinet Secretary will be monitoring the situation with Delhi, Punjab and Haryana on a daily basis. Chief Secretaries of the states have also been asked to monitor the situation in various districts round the clock.

https://indianexpress.com/article/c...lowing-people-in-other-places-to-die-6102548/
 
India's top court has accused state governments of "passing the buck" on air pollution and failing to take action to tackle Delhi's toxic smog.

The Supreme Court said authorities were only interested in "gimmicks", rather than concrete measures to combat pollution levels.

Levels of dangerous particles in the air - known as PM2.5 - are at well over 10 times safe limits in the capital.

City authorities have responded by launching a car rationing system.

The fight against air pollution in three global cities
"Delhi is choking every year and we are unable to do anything," said Supreme Court Justice Arun Misha. "The state machinery is not acting… They are passing the buck to each other... Everybody is interested in gimmicks and elections."

From 4 to 15 November, cars with odd or even number plates will only be allowed on the roads on alternate days, officials said. Such a system has been used before but it is not clear if it helps lower pollution levels.

Cars are not believed to be the main cause of Delhi's toxic air, with experts pointing instead to crop burning by farmers in neighbouring states to clear fields.

Health officials have asked people to stay indoors and refrain from doing any physical activity as millions are at risk of respiratory illness. Schools are closed until Tuesday and the shutdown is likely to be extended until Friday as the city chokes under a thick blanket of smog.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the car rationing system, known as the "odd-even plan", would take hundreds of thousands of cars off the road. Those ignoring the rule face a fine of 4,000 rupees (£44; $56) - double that of previous years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50285343
 
Air is not that bad during day time. Its gets really bad from 8 pm to 8 am. I am forced to skip morning walk. Odd-even scheme is massive inconvenience and a joke , considering two-wheelers are exempted.
 
Some wind speed yesterday helped a lot. Low fog and bit cleaner air this morning. Managed to spot few stars. They were invisible last few days.
 
Slog said:
No it’s my indian friend from college.

I think they moved to dehradun they have a house there

Lahore’s very bad too but not sure if comparable to Delhi
Click to expand...

So weird, my parents are seeing homes to move to dehradun, no wonder the prices are inflated there.
 
jeetu said:
Odd-even scheme is massive inconvenience and a joke , considering two-wheelers are exempted.
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Yeah, don't even do whatever little could be done during these extremely tough times. You seem to be from Vijay Goel's school of thinking....
 
MP2011 said:
Yeah, don't even do whatever little could be done during these extremely tough times. You seem to be from Vijay Goel's school of thinking....
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I have seen odd-even being implemented before , it was pointless then , pointless now. It easier to comment from afar , people like me are the feeling the brunt of election stunt. If odd-even needs to be implement for good , then its just silly to exempt vehicles delivering higher polluting vehicles.
 
jeetu said:
I have seen odd-even being implemented before , it was pointless then , pointless now. It easier to comment from afar , people like me are the feeling the brunt of election stunt. If odd-even needs to be implement for good , then its just silly to exempt vehicles delivering higher polluting vehicles.
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First of all, I'm not sitting afar, I'm out and out Delhite myself who is inhaling this poisonous smoke daily despite being a complete non smoker all life!

My point still stands, since the event manager hasn't done ANYTHING on this front (his 6th Diwali in Delhi), someone who is doing at least something (even if its an election stunt as per you), however little it may be, he should desist from doing it!!

What a logic!

Won't do anything. At the same time, won't let anyone else to do anything especially if that means that is an election stunt!
 
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This line of thinking isn't new to sanghis though. Prakash Javdekar (environment minister) has suggested hearing classical music to soothe pollution related stress while our health minister has advised eating a lot of carrots to beat the pollution effects!! Event manager is well, busy in managing events. Last I heard, he was in Bangkok! No wonder we are where we are at the moment!!

I still remember there used to be a minister (Sompal) in AB's govt who advised us not to eat tomatoes as they cause gall bladder stone when their prices hit the roof during his tenure as our agriculture minister...Such is the intelligence level of sanghis....
 
I'm simply amazed how could someone totally absolve the one who is mostly responsible for this emergency situation while at the same time castigate the only one who is at least doing something, however minuscule and as much of an election stunt it may be!!
 
Don't worry folks, Greta will be along any minute to save the day. A few selfies with Bollywood stars and problem solved! :)
 
MP2011 said:
This line of thinking isn't new to sanghis though. Prakash Javdekar (environment minister) has suggested hearing classical music to soothe pollution related stress while our health minister has advised eating a lot of carrots to beat the pollution effects!! Event manager is well, busy in managing events. Last I heard, he was in Bangkok! No wonder we are where we are at the moment!!

I still remember there used to be a minister (Sompal) in AB's govt who advised us not to eat tomatoes as they cause gall bladder stone when their prices hit the roof during his tenure as our agriculture minister...Such is the intelligence level of sanghis....
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Didn't take long for Sanghis to bring in Pakistan (and China for a change!) into this mess!

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pak...says-bjp-leader-2127926?pfrom=home-topstories
 
big_gamer007 said:
Deflection tactics, blame game, denial are part and parcel of Indian politics. Politicians are representative of the people, Indian population is not the brightest.
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True.

But sanghis have taken it to a different level altogether.
 
Gabbar Singh said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Devotees stand knee-deep in toxic foam in Delhi's Yamuna for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChhathPuja?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChhathPuja</a>. <a href="https://t.co/tiHnluBdNz">https://t.co/tiHnluBdNz</a> <a href="https://t.co/D8r6sVVpI5">pic.twitter.com/D8r6sVVpI5</a></p>— NDTV (@ndtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/1191229116906795008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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I’m confused. Is this toxic foam real or is it a form of protest to bring attention to the issue?
 
It is as real as it gets and is very common occurrence in Delhi rivers as rare as they're to be found in Delhi.
 
As India's north continues to struggle with extreme pollution levels, the story has put a fresh spotlight on air quality in cities across Asia.

Beijing has long been notorious for its smog - but statistics show that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have worse air by far.

So why is South Asia so much more polluted?

The remaining eight cities are all in Pakistan, Bangladesh and China - but the list doesn't include Beijing, which comes in at number 122.

Just looking at global capitals, it's also Asian cities that top the ranking.

Looking at overall countries, it's Bangladesh that has the worst air, followed by Pakistan and then India.

All these rankings are based on average air quality per year.

As these countries have very different densities of measuring stations and transparency of data, the statistics have to be read with a degree of caution. But they certainly indicate an overall trend.

Why is India worse off than China?
Pollution in urban areas is usually a mix of different factors - mostly traffic, fossil fuel burning power plants and heavy industries.

What differentiates China from India is that in the latter, there is still a lot of burning of agricultural stubble when farmers want to clear their fields. The burning usually takes place in autumn.

"In this episode, the big problem really seems to have been the agricultural burning," assistant professor Thomas Smith of the London School of Economics told the BBC.

"That's one thing that China has tackled. All agricultural burning has been banned, full stop."

A global overview for fires and thermal abnormalities is made available by Nasa, and allows users to track developments over past days and weeks.

The area north-west of Delhi shows a highly unusual concentration of fires, Prof Smith points out.

"And you can't underestimate how important agricultural burning is - even though people often think only of cars and heavy industry as the causes."

In the wake of the pollution spike, India's Supreme Court ordered a stop to stubble burning in the states around Delhi.

But the city's situation is made worse by the colder winter air which is more stagnant, trapping the pollutants in place.

Prof Smith also points out that "while India is largely reactive, Beijing tends to be more proactive and preventative to try to stop the problems from happening in the first place".

What does pollution feel like?
Pollution levels are categorised by measuring the levels of dangerous particles in the air. The result is then classified on a scale from good to hazardous.

"The effect of pollution is different for every person," explains Dr Christine Cowie of the University of New South Wales.

"Some people complain about irritation to the eyes, to the throat, exacerbations of wheeze and asthma symptoms. Coughing is certainly also a very common symptom - even in non-asthmatic people.

"And of course it's the elderly who suffer, the very young and people with pre-existing respiratory illnesses like or heart problems."

She explains that even a short exposure to the unhealthy or worse pollution levels can trigger an asthma attack or increase the risk of a stroke. The longer the exposure, the greater the risks.

And the ways to protect oneself are limited.

There's the advice to stay indoors, to reduce physical exercise and to wear a mask - but in many poorer parts of the world, none of these options really work for regular people.

"It is toxic air," says David Taylor, professor of tropical environmental change at the National University of Singapore.

"It must be very uncomfortable - especially if you're having to work outside and if you're having to do jobs that require quite a lot of energy."

"You feel like it's hard to breathe," agrees Prof Smith.

"It's like doing hardcore exercise when you just take a walk outside. And depending on the kind of pollution, you can of course also smell it in the air."

How does it compare to Europe or the US?
Today, pollution levels in Europe, Australia and the US are significantly lower than the extreme readings that India has experienced in the past few days.

But it's not always been like that. London, for instance, was notorious for its pollution during much of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

As late as 1952, the so-called Great Smog covered London with a thick toxic layer of pollution, bringing the city almost to a standstill for days, not unlike the situation in Delhi now. It's thought to have resulted in thousands of deaths.

While London experienced a different mix of pollutants, "it probably wasn't far off what's currently happening in Delhi," says Mr Taylor.

Back then, power stations along the Thames were major polluters of the British capital.

In fact - much of what we know today about the health impact of air pollution dates back to the experiences of the London smog during those years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50298972
 
'Delhi in ICU': Spike in respiratory diseases due to toxic smog

New Delhi, India - A blanket of toxic smog engulfed India's capital this week, with air quality crossing dangerous levels and causing a public outcry.

A slight improvement was recorded in Delhi's air on Monday when the government rolled out an odd-even numberplate scheme to limit traffic, putting almost 1.5 million private vehicles off the city's roads.

On Tuesday, the city's air quality index (AQI) of 411 was still in the "severe" category. The safe limit specified by the World Health Organization is 60.

More than 40 million people living in and around Delhi have suffered from the poisonous air as politicians indulged in a blame game and, in some instances, offered bizarre solutions.

As the city wheezed, India's environment minister advised people to "start your day with music" in a tweet, while the health minister recommended "eating carrots" to help in combating pollution-related health issues.

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who called Delhi a "gas chamber", declared a public health emergency.

"For the last few years, the pollution levels have drastically increased in Delhi's air. It's the biggest health issue," said Puja, 40, a resident. "But nobody is doing anything through the year and they wake up when the pollution levels reach [a] hazardous level."

Most-polluted cities
Delhi has a year-round pollution problem with residents yearning for days when they can breathe clean air. It is among 14 Indian cities listed in the World Health Organization’s top 15 most-polluted cities globally.

Vehicles and industrial activities are major contributors to air pollution along with rampant construction.

But every year around October-November, the air quality becomes hazardous due to pasture burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

India's Supreme Court on Monday lashed out at both Prime Minister Narendra Modi's central government and the Delhi government, saying they were not doing enough to curb pollution levels and passing the buck to each other.

"Delhi is choking every year and we are unable to do anything. This can't be done in a civilised society," the court said.

The top court called on the city authorities, as well as neighbouring state governments, to work out a solution to this recurring problem.

Impact on health
Pollution levels of this scale are linked to chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease, health practitioners say.

The air quality in Delhi has been particularly bad since October 28, a day after the Hindu festival of Diwali, and doctors say they have recorded a 20 to 30 percent spike in the number of patients with respiratory diseases.

Doctors say that they have seen symptoms worsening in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

"The air pollution is a very big health concern. The trends are worrying," said Dr Karan Madan, a pulmonologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

"The effects [of a crisis] are sometimes not very immediately apparent. The immediate apparent effects of cough, itching in the eyes, sore throats, might be just a tip of an iceberg.

"But what is happening with all the pollutants that one is inhaling in such a large quantity over such a long time, their health effects in the long term will be very significant," Dr Madan told Al Jazeera.

A study released in June by the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based advocacy group, says poisonous air kills more than 100,000 children under five every year in India.

The life expectancy of people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain has dropped by up to seven years due to poor air quality, according to a study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, released last week.

Measures taken
The crisis has prompted the government to declare a public health emergency, shutting down schools and banning construction work.

Earlier, Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, announced the distribution of about five million face masks to schoolchildren as the city reeled under the worst pollution crisis in years.

On Monday, a third edition of the traffic-cutting scheme, under which cars with odd and even numberplates can drive on Delhi’s roads only on alternate days, was also rolled out.

But analysts say that it is not enough.

"Delhi is in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) right now," said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens For Clean Air, a citizens' collective.

"There should be zero tolerance towards any violations contributing to direct triggers of air pollution," she told Al Jazeera.

Pallavi Pant, an air quality scientist based in Boston, told Al Jazeera that air pollution was a multi-sectoral problem and is a serious environmental concern across India, not just in Delhi.

"At the national and regional level, we need to address sources such as solid fuel use in households and power plants, whereas at the local level, we need to focus on sources such as transportation and waste burning," she said.

Pant further said that a discussion on Delhi's air quality was incomplete without the broader discussion on air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

"Air doesn't respect geographic or political borders, and in order to improve air quality in the Delhi region, we need a strategy that address both local sources and regional sources and that includes government actors from various departments and states," she added.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...-diseases-due-toxic-smog-191105070129389.html
 
Thankfully rain happened , air is much cleaner is comparisons. Hopefully the worst days are behind now. Can't wait for Kejriwal to take credit for it.
 
Its better to take credit for rain than to take credit of our army jawans.....
 
NEW DELHI: The Indian capital’s notorious air pollution hit “emergency” levels again on Wednesday, coinciding with a visit by Britain’s Prince Charles.

New Delhi has been choked on and off for weeks, as industrial and traffic pollution — combined with smoke from crop stubble burning — cast a toxic pall over the metropolis.

For the second time in 10 days, the amount of 2.5PM — the deadly tiny particles that get into the bloodstream and lungs — hit “emergency” levels, nearly 20 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organisation.

With the government facing new criticism over steps taken to counter the pollution, Prince Charles visited the Indian Meteorology Department as part of his two-day visit to India.

Charles, frequently outspoken on green issues, was briefed on the crisis by Sunita Narain, a leading environmental activist.

She did not reveal details of her royal talks, but in a commentary last week said: “Every breath we take is poison.” Narain has called for faster moves away from coal and other “dirty fuels” as energy sources, and said authorities are doing “too little too late”.

India’s Supreme Court joined criticism of the government on Wednesday saying authorities had made “little constructive efforts” to curb pollution.

The court has ordered a new clampdown on stubble burning — in theory already banned — on farms surrounding the capital. It was acting because pollution “affects the vast majority of Indians.” Research released this year said the toxic smog across northern India cuts short the lives of around one million people each year.

The Delhi state government has taken measures including banning construction and only allowing cars on the road depending on whether the registration is an odd or even number.

The road rationing is meant to end on Friday, but Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said it could be extended. Local authorities late on Wednesday announced all schools in Delhi would be closed due to the pollution.

“Looking at the worsening situation... Delhi government has ordered all government and public schools to remain shut on Thursday and Friday,” Manish Sisodia, deputy chief minister of Delhi said on Twitter.

India has 14 of the world’s 15 most polluted cities, according to the WHO.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1516605/delhi-smog-hits-emergency-levels-as-prince-charles-visits.
 
It’s India. We only worry about what someone eats, which invisible sky god we worship and popping kids like rabbits.

Pollution, Toxic air, lack of water, over population are least of anyone’s concern.
 
MP2011 said:
True.

But sanghis have taken it to a different level altogether.
Click to expand...

That's because BJP invests heavily on their media cell. No other political party has ever invested such huge amounts in media manipulation. BJP media cell systematically brainwashes/changes people's perception about various issues.

I wouldn't blame BJP, it's the people who are responsible.
 
troodon said:
It’s India. We only worry about what someone eats, which invisible sky god we worship and popping kids like rabbits.

Pollution, Toxic air, lack of water, over population are least of anyone’s concern.
Click to expand...

Exactly, priorities are different for Indians, in fact not just Indians but majority of the sub continent is the same.
 
troodon said:
It’s India. We only worry about what someone eats, which invisible sky god we worship and popping kids like rabbits.

Pollution, Toxic air, lack of water, over population are least of anyone’s concern.
Click to expand...

Same can be said for pakistan, though the majority only believe in one god.
 
Slog said:
I’m confused. Is this toxic foam real or is it a form of protest to bring attention to the issue?
Click to expand...

When it comes to religion and its rituals, brain is the last thing that people will use. For them, they are doing what religion says.
 
Sydney disappeared behind a thick layer bushfire smoke that blanketed the city and pushed air quality 11 times higher than considered “hazardous” on Tuesday, while Australia’s weary firefighters faced what authorities warned were the potentially “lethal” combination of high temperatures and heavy winds.

Across Sydney, buildings were evacuated regularly as fire alarms were triggered at random. During the morning commute, the sound of the ferries using their fog horns due to the poor visibility filled the area surrounding the harbour before the entire fleet was finally grounded.

Schools kept children inside during their lunch break and face masks became a regular accoutrement as Sydney’s landmarks were lost in the haze.

Images of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach shrouded in smoke were shared widely on social media as the usual joie de vivre that greets the beginning of summer in this city gave way to anxiety over the lengthening bushfire crisis.

A domestic cricket match between New South Wales and Queensland continued under a pall. Footage of the former Australian test player Steve O’Keefe bowling spin in near darkness seemed to sum up the uncanny feeling that settled across the city.

A NSW Ambulance superintendent, Brent Armitage, said paramedics were attending up to 100 respiratory-related call-outs per day and the state’s health department warned residents to stay indoors as much as possible amid “unprecedented” smoke pollution.

The state’s director of environmental health, Dr Richard Broome, said the smoke in Sydney was “some of the worst air quality we’ve seen”.

“Certainly in Sydney we have experienced very poor air quality episodes in the past and the one I’m most aware of is the 2009 dust storm episode where we had extremely high levels, but certainly this smoky period we’ve been experiencing for the past month or so, it is unprecedented, so these conditions are a risk to people’s health,” Broome said.

Mantha said crews had responded to more than 500 automatic fire alarms across the city.

“This amount of calls peaked between 11am and 12 midday with 154 automatic alarms, as a result there’s also been over 335 triple-zero emergency calls,” he told reporters in Sydney.

Mentha said the volume of calls was unprecedented and had increased as the smoke cloud “descended on the city”.

Among those forced outside were the headquarters of the Rural Fire Service and one of the city’s major newspapers, the Sydney Morning Herald.

Fires have continued to burn throughout the eastern states, and in particular NSW, for the better part of a month with no reprieve in sight.

Six people have died, almost 700 homes have been destroyed and at least 2.7m hectares have burned. Fires stretch the distance of the NSW coastline. Drought has gripped this part of Australia for several months and some coastal towns face the possibility of running out of water by January if summer rains fail to materialise.

Tuesday had been labelled a potentially “lethal” day by the commissioner of the RFS, Shane Fitzsimmons, as 40C degree temperatures and hot gusty winds whipped up flames.

More than 80 fires were burning across NSW on Tuesday, while firefighting crews in Victoria and Queensland are also battling a number of blazes.

On Tuesday evening, a fire burning on the state’s central coast, the Little L Complex fire, was upgraded to an emergency level, and was 67,000 hectares in size and uncontained.

One fire at Gospers Mountain, north of Sydney, has already burned through some 319,000 hectares. The fire has burned steadily for weeks, and previously merged with other blazes to form one long sweeping fire-front.

Further north, residents in isolated bush communities in the state’s Hunter Valley became ringed by fire and were expected to be completely cut off.

With no obvious end – other than rain – to the crisis, the state’s former fire chief Greg Mullins warned on Tuesday that firefighters may have “nothing left in the tank” as they battle with an abnormally long and extensive fire season.

“Everyone is getting pretty worn out and, in my experience, that’s where all the bad stuff happens,” he told AAP. “The troops, if they’re worn out, you get to a stage where it just overwhelms everyone, so that’s a worry.

“I’m buggered ... and I haven’t done as many [shifts] as some people. People will step up. Firefighters – they are men and women who give their all – they will do whatever is asked of them and more but I do fear for their welfare.”

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...tralias-bushfires-rage?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
 
Can rich Dehites band together and buy stubbles from farmers in Punjab and Haryana? Stubble burning is the biggest cause behind this pollution.
 
Dingolfy said:
Can rich Dehites band together and buy stubbles from farmers in Punjab and Haryana? Stubble burning is the biggest cause behind this pollution.
Click to expand...


I cannot understand why the farmers must burn the stubbles. They can plant the new crop over and the stubbles will eventually turn into compost.
 
Here are some idiots in Delhi who are bursting bucketloads of crackers at sighting moon.
 
New Delhi, the capital city with the worst air quality worldwide, suffered its most toxic day in a year on Thursday, recording the concentration of poisonous PM2.5 particles at 14 times the World Health Organization’s safe limit.

A raging coronavirus epidemic, with more than 400,000 confirmed cases in the city of 20 million, has heightened alarm over the health hazard posed by the choking smog, with doctors warning of a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses.

“At this time in Delhi, coronavirus and pollution are causing a major havoc,” Arvind Kejriwal, New Delhi’s chief minister said in a recorded video on Twitter.

“We are seeing all around the sky is covered with smoke, and because of this, the situation from coronavirus is worsening.”

The deadly PM2.5 particles are less than 2.5 microns in diameter, can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system, potentially causing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases including lung cancer, according to WHO.

“Woke up with a feeling that poisonous garbage is stuck in my windpipe,” said Rahul Ojha, a resident who tagged government authorities in a tweet, blaming them for inaction.

New Delhi’s air pollution typically worsens in October and November due to farmers burning off stubble in surrounding states, traffic fumes and windless days.

On Thursday, the federal air quality and weather monitoring agency recorded 4,135 incidents of farm fires – the highest of the season. Firecrackers ignited for a Hindu festival on Wednesday added to the problem, some people said.

The average PM2.5 level was 370 per cubic metre of air against the WHO’s prescribed safe limit of 25 per cubic metre.

The overall air quality index (AQI), which includes other pollutants besides PM2.5 particles, crossed 460 on a scale of 500, the worst since November 14, 2019.

If the air quality stays in the severe zone for 48 hours, authorities could bar vehicles entering New Delhi, shut down construction, and stop half the cars owned by residents from being driven on roads through an odd-even scheme.

Source Al Jazeera
 
As the country geared up to celebrate the festival of light, Indian skipper Virat Kohli posted a video on Twitter to extend his Diwali greetings to his followers. Kohli, who is currently in Australia, urged his fans to not burst crackers in order to protect the environment and celebrate the auspicious festival with a "simple diya and sweets". "A very happy Diwali from me to you and your families. May god bless you with peace, prosperity and happiness this Diwali. Please remember do not burst crackers to protect the environment and have fun at home with your loved ones with a simple diya and sweets on this auspicious occasion," Kohli said in the video.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1327499092193202177
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Will right wing trolls attack Kohli now for being anti hindu?
 
We have 6 consecutive severe days here in Delhi this month.

We have had 5 such days in entire November in '18 and 7 such days last year.

With Covid already wrecking havoc this year by what, 3rd Covid wave, this is double whammy for us.
 
Northern India chokes on toxic smog day after Diwali festival

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Hundreds of millions of Indians in north India woke up on Sunday to toxic air following Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, after many revellers defied bans on using firecrackers to celebrate.

The capital New Delhi was blanketed with a thick haze, with the average pollution level over 9 times what is considered safe by the World Health Organization.

Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had banned the use and sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali, but the policy has been difficult to implement.

Revellers in the capital let off huge amounts of fireworks well into Sunday morning, prompting angry residents and environmentalists to complain on social media of breathing difficulties and stinging eyes.

“Our gods must be so happy today, that their followers burst firecrackers and choked the young ones to despair and death,” said Vimlendu Jha, the founder of non-profit environmental group Swechha.

Some defended firecrackers as an essential part of a religious tradition celebrated by millions across the country.

“Are you realizing how all of India, all places stood up in defiance against the cracker ban? It’s like a form of Hindu- freedom battle cry,” Tarun Vijay, a leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, tweeted.

New Delhi’s air pollution typically worsens in October and November due to farmers burning agricultural waste, coal-fired power plants, traffic and windless days.

The raging coronavirus epidemic, with more than 400,000 cases in the city of 20 million people, has also heightened alarm over the smog. Doctors have warned of a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses.

Cities in the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and New Delhi - which have already been suffering from some of the worst air in the world - saw even higher levels of pollution than on the morning after Diwali last year, government data analyzed by Reuters showed.

An average of air quality indices measured at different places within the major cities in these states was higher than last year, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-smog-day-after-diwali-festival-idUSKBN27V0A3
 
Gabbar Singh said:
Meanwhile.....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Delhi Records Worst Air Quality In 4 Years After Diwali <a href="https://t.co/iCfQFJRIqK">https://t.co/iCfQFJRIqK</a> <a href="https://t.co/y6t3bZDobM">pic.twitter.com/y6t3bZDobM</a></p>— NDTV (@ndtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/1328039135609667584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Click to expand...
Kudos to bhakts for linking crackers to Hinduism!
 
Pollution deaths in India rose to 1.67 million in 2019 - Lancet

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Toxic air killed more people in India in 2019 than in 2017, The Lancet said in a report shared by the government on Tuesday, with 1.67 million deaths accounting for 18% of all fatalities.

India, whose cities top global pollution lists, faces a growing economic as well as human toll from bad air quality, which was linked to 1.24 million, or 12.5% of total deaths in the previous such study for 2017.

The analysis (here) found pollution led to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, neonatal disorders and cataracts.

Land-locked New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital whose winter skies are often obscured (here) by its filthy air, recorded the highest per-capita economic hit, the journal said.

The fatalities in 2019 led to a total loss of $36.8 billion, or 1.36% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP), with the poor and populous states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar experiencing the highest economic loss as a percentage of their GDP.

Although the death rate due to household air pollution fell 64.2% from 1990 to 2019, that due to ambient particulate matter pollution more than doubled, The Lancet said.

“The improvements in air quality across India during the COVID-19 lockdown period, and its upsurge again with the easing of restrictions, provide interesting pointers to the extent of air pollution reduction that is possible with reduced human activity,” it added.

The government said in a statement that India would need to invest more in state-specific pollution control programmes if it were to meet its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2024, from around $2.9 trillion now.

India’s three main cities, New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, were on the list of the world’s 20 worst polluted cities, Swiss air quality technology company IQAir reported on Tuesday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-to-1-67-million-in-2019-lancet-idUSKBN28W158
 
New Delhi was the world’s most polluted capital for the third straight year in 2020, according to IQAir, a Swiss group that measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5.

India was home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities, according to IQAir’s 2020 World Air Quality Report, which gathered data for 106 countries.

The findings were based on the country’s annual average of particulate matter PM2.5, airborne particles with less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can lead to deadly diseases, including cancer and cardiac problems.

In 2020, New Delhi’s average annual concentration of PM2.5 in a cubic meter of air was 84.1, the study said, more than double the level of Beijing, which averaged 37.5 during the year, making it the 14th most polluted city in the world.

Air pollution caused an estimated 54,000 premature deaths in New Delhi in 2020, according to a recent study by Greenpeace Southeast Asia Analysis and IQAir.

Despite an 11 per cent reduction in the annual average of PM2.5 levels due to nationwide coronavirus lockdown curbs imposed last year, India emerged as the world’s third most polluted country after Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“Air pollution in India is still dangerously high,” the report said.

In 2020, South Asia endured some of the world’s worst air quality on record, it said.

Last year, Delhi’s 20 million residents, who breathed some of the cleanest air on record in summer months due to the lockdown curbs, battled toxic air in winter, following a sharp increase in farm fire incidents in the neighbouring state of Punjab.

As the burning of crop stubble peaked, Delhi’s PM2.5 levels averaged 144 micrograms per cubic metre in November and 157 micrograms per cubic metre in December, exceeding the World Health Organisation’s annual exposure guideline by more than 14 times, it said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1612860/n...olluted-capital-for-third-straight-year-study
 
Are there any PP'ers living in Delhi? I've been reading some truly hellish accounts of air pollution. Apparently the Supreme Court of India has asked the Central and State governments to take immediate measures to alleviate the situation. The court also termed the situation an "emergency".
 
leonidas_alexandar said:
Are there any PP'ers living in Delhi? I've been reading some truly hellish accounts of air pollution. Apparently the Supreme Court of India has asked the Central and State governments to take immediate measures to alleviate the situation. The court also termed the situation an "emergency".
Click to expand...

Air is pretty bad before sunrise. It gets bit better during daytime. Until there is decent wind speed or rain , air in will remain in bad shape. Delhi government is making School's fully offline and will closes most offices. Also there is chance of odd/even cars rule returning soon. Luckily no one in my family is asthmatic. But it can be problematic for some people. I reckon home air filter will soon be essential item to be had in every home.
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-top-court-orders-work-home-over-pollution-capital-2021-11-15/

India's Supreme Court told authorities on Monday to shut offices in the capital and nearby cities, allowing millions to work from home as officials seek ways to reduce hazardous air pollution that led to the closure of schools.

Its action came after city authorities in New Delhi, which has been battling a toxic haze since early November, took emergency measures on Saturday, ordering the closure of schools and building work for four days.

"We direct the centre and states of the national capital region to impose work from home for the meantime," said Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, head of a panel of three judges considering a petition by a city resident.

The court also sought urgent steps to rein in crop waste fires in the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, set by hundreds of thousands of farmers looking to clear fields for a new sowing season.

"We want action on the issue," said Justice Surya Kant. Although the court did not set a deadline for the action by authorities, it will next take up the pollution issue on Wednesday.

India's efforts to reduce the burning of crop waste, a major source of air pollution during winter, have had little benefit, despite its expenditure of billions of rupees over the past four years.

An index of air quality stood at 343 on a scale of 500 in Delhi on Monday, a sign of "very poor" conditions that can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.

The capital experienced severe conditions late last week as temperatures dropped and the index reached 499.

The Supreme Court also ordered measures to halt vehicle traffic that is not essential, cut industrial pollution and limit dust.

Contributors to the poor air quality in Delhi, often ranked the world's most polluted capital, include coal-fired plants outside the city as well as the burning of garbage in the open.
Click to expand...
 
Authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, have shut all schools and colleges indefinitely amid the worsening levels of air pollution.

Construction work has also been banned until 21 November, but an exception has been made for transport and defence-related projects.

Only five of the 11 coal-based power plants in the city have been allowed to operate.

A toxic haze has smothered Delhi since the festival of Diwali.

The levels of PM2.5 - tiny particles that can clog people's lungs - in Delhi are far higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety guidelines. Several parts of the city recorded figures close to or higher than 400 on Tuesday, which is categorised as "severe".

A figure between zero and 50 is considered "good", and between 51 and 100 is "satisfactory", according to the the air quality index or AQI.

A mix of factors like vehicular and industrial emissions, dust, and weather patterns make Delhi the world's most polluted capital. The air turns especially toxic in winter months as farmers in neighbouring states burn crop stubble. And fireworks during the festival of Diwali, which happens at the same time, only worsen the air quality. Low wind speed also plays a part as it traps the pollutants in the lower atmosphere.

This year, the pollution has become so dire that it prompted a stern warning from India's Supreme Court, which directed state and federal governments to take "imminent and emergency" measures to tackle the problem.

Following the hearing, a meeting was called by Delhi's Commission for Air Quality Management and emergency measures were announced.

Other measures announced by the panel include a ban on the entry of trucks in Delhi and neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan until 21 November, except those carrying essential commodities.

The panel also directed Delhi and other states to "encourage'' work from home for 50% in all private offices that fall in the National Capital Region during the period.

BBC
 
Environment Minister Calls Delhi "Gas Chamber", Arvind Kejriwal Attacks PM

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's efforts at cornering Prime Minister Narendra Modi over shocking levels of air pollution in the capital and rest of north India earned him a sharp rebuke from the Union Environment Minister on Wednesday.

In a scathing attack on Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Union Minister Bhupender Yadav blamed the party for turning the capital into a "gas chamber" and accused it of a "scam".

"As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen an over 19% rise in farm fires over 2021. Haryana has seen a 30.6% drop. Just today, Punjab saw 3,634 fires. There is no doubt over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber," Mr Yadav tweeted.

"Scam is where AAP is. In the last 5 years, the Central Government gave ₹ 1,347 crore for crop residue management machines to Punjab. The state bought 1,20,000 machines. 11,275 of those machines have gone missing. Money utilisation shows clear incompetence," he alleged.

"Last year, ₹ 212 crore were left unspent. This year, the Central Govt gave Punjab ₹ 280 crore for crop residue management machines. So about ₹ 492 crore was available but the state govt chose to sit with the funds forcing helpless farmers to burn the crop residue," the minister wrote.

"The Chief Minister of Punjab has failed to even provide relief to farmers in his own turf of Sangrur. Last year (Sept 15-Nov 2) farm fires in Sangrur stood at 1,266. This year they have shot up by 139% rising to 3,025," Mr Yadav said, targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

The minister's charges followed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's questions to PM Modi over the issue.

"Pollution is a problem of entire North India. UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is almost equal everywhere. Did Delhi-Punjab spread pollution all over the country? Why is the PM not calling a meeting of all states on this?" he told reporters.

"The centre is not helping the farmers, only filing FIRs against them. They rejected our proposal on tackling stubble burning. There is only politics going on about this, no one is talking about the solution," Mr Kejriwal added.

The exchange came on a day when smoke from farm fires contributed to up to 32 per cent of the tiny PM 2.5 lung-damaging pollutants in the city's air - the highest in the past two years during the period of mid-October to early November, according to data from the Ministry of Earth Science.

PM 2.5 are fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

The Commission for Air Quality Management had last week said the increased incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year "is a matter of serious concern". Along with unfavourable meteorological conditions, paddy straw burning in adjoining states is a major reason behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

Farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue before cultivating wheat and vegetables.

NDTV
 
"Our Children Struggling To Breathe": Delhi Air Quality "Severe" Again
The air quality index or AQI stood at 408 at 7 am as a result of farm fires in the neighbouring states and vehicular emissions. Both the factors are considered a major contributor to the air pollution in the national capital.

New Delhi: A thick layer of smog covered Delhi and its adjoining areas this morning as pollution levels slipped to "severe" category again after a marginal improvement on Wednesday.

Delhi's air quality index or AQI stands at 426 as a result of farm fires in the neighbouring states and vehicular emissions. Unfavourable meteorological conditions have also contributed to pollution in the national capital.
The air quality index (AQI) between 401 and 500 is categorised as severe, the worst band on the index.

As Delhi is forced to breathe the toxic air, several residents have reported breathing difficulties, with the elderly and schoolchildren being the worst hit.

Medical experts say prolonged exposure to toxic air, especially during the morning, can lead to serious health problems.

A leading private school, The Shri Ram School, has suspended physical classes at its branches in Delhi and Haryana for tomorrow in view of the deteriorating air quality. The school will be conducting online classes tomorrow.

The physical classes will resume on campus from Monday and N95 masks will be mandatory for both students and the staff, the school said.

Sources say more schools may do the same. This comes a day after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to shut schools till air quality improves.

Parents, however, say the authorities should adopt long-term measures to tackle city's rising pollution instead of shutting schools. "Closing schools is not a solution, the government should do something to tackle pollution," a woman told NDTV.

"Our children are struggling to breathe, but the government should not shut the schools. They should take steps to improve the air quality. The kids already suffered when the schools were shut during the pandemic," another parent said.

The 24-hour AQI of the city stood at 376 yesterday, improving from 424 on Tuesday.

The AQI between 401 and 500 is categorized as severe, the worst band on the index. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor".

Experts say the air quality in Delhi is worst between November 1 and November 15 because the stubble burning is at peak during this period.

Smoke from farm fires contributed to up to 38 per cent of the tiny PM 2.5 lung-damaging pollutants in the city's air - the highest in the past two years during the period of mid-October to early November, according to data from the Ministry of Earth Science.

PM 2.5 are fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

NDTV
 
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