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Delhi AQI ‘Very Poor’ Measuring At 322

By LokMarg 18th December 2022

Delhi air stood at ‘very poor’ category on Sunday with Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 322. The Air Quality of the national capital, which was at a moderate level for the last few days, stooped to a new low, over the weekend.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s air quality was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday.
The air quality in the Delhi University area was recorded as ‘very poor’, with PM 2.5 at 333, whereas the AQI in Noida measured at 348. At Pusa, the AQI measured at 315.

Meanwhile, Lodhi Road and Mathura Road also experienced ‘very poor’ air quality with AQI at 306 and 390, respectively.

With AQI of most areas around the Delhi-NCR region measuring above 300, the AQI of Gurugram came in the ‘poor’ category at 266.

The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

Earlier, the air quality in Delhi was in the ‘moderate’ category, it deteriorated and reached the ‘very poor’ category.

The residents of the city have urged the government to take steps to control the ongoing menace of air pollution in the city. Some have even urged the government to bring back the odd-even rule in the city. “Air pollution is slightly less as compared to last year. The cold has also increased and the odd-even should be brought as soon as possible to curb the remaining air pollution,” said a resident. (ANI)

Delhi: AQI Severe; Noida Records 529 AQI, Gurugram At 478

By LokMarg 5th November 2022

The air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category on Saturday, for the third day in a row, even though a slight improvement was noted in the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital, which stood at 431 this morning.

On Friday during the corresponding morning period, the AQI of the capital city was recorded at 472.
Also, areas in the national capital region (NCR) area – Noida and Gurugram at 7 am this morning recorded an AQI of 529 and 478 respectively both in the highly toxic ‘severe’.

Dhirpur in West Delhi recorded an AQI of 534.

On Friday, SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) said that stubble-burning accounted for 34 percent to Delhi’s particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollution.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.

People of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) complained of choking and ‘eye burning’ due to smog and air pollution leaving people gasping for breath.

Earlier on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held a press conference and urged the central government to come forward and lead measures to check severe smog in the national capital region.

Kejriwal and Mann said that the AAP governments are in Punjab and Delhi. This is not the time to raise fingers or abuse each other. If they say, Kejriwal is responsible and we say they are responsible, this will not solve the problem of smog in NCR, they added.

“We do not want to play blame game, we are responsible (for smog in NCR)”, they added.

CM Kejriwal announced that primary schools in Delhi would be closed from November 5.

Besides, the outdoor activity of students of the above fifth standard has been banned.

The Delhi government is also mulling implementing the odd-even norms for plying of vehicles in Delhi to contain the pollution caused by vehicular emission, he added.

However, the forecast predicts that the condition of air quality in Delhi and nearby regions will continue to deteriorate further and expects improvement from November 5.

“Air quality is likely to remain within ‘Severe’ today and likely to improve tomorrow to ‘lower end of Severe’ and from 5th onwards air quality is likely to improve further to ‘Very poor’ due to upper-level wind reversal that prevents inflow of stubble-related pollutants. Higher surface wind speed on 5th Nov is likely to disperse pollutants,” said a press release. (ANI)

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Punjab: Uptick In Stubble-Burning Incidents; 24,000 Reported So Far

By LokMarg 4th November 2022

Stubble burning continued unabated in Punjab with the state reporting nearly 24,000 such cases so far, an official said on Friday.

The incidents of stubble burning have seen a rise in parts of Punjab this year in comparison to last year. However, the area of fields burnt has witnessed a drop of 1 percent so far.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Senior Environmental Engineer of Punjab Pollution Control Board, Gurbakhshish Singh Gill said that 1,144 incidents of stubble burning have taken place in the state till Thursday and 24,146 such incidents in Punjab.

“We are working in coordination with the government. Efforts are on. Farmers are being sensitised. Our teams are monitoring the situation. We are hopeful of the situation is in our control this time,” he said earlier on Thursday.

He attributed various factors to the deterioration in the Air Quality Index (AQI).

“There are various factors responsible for the deteriorating AQI. Stubble burning is one of them, other is Diwali, transportation, and other atmospheric conditions,” he said.

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda, Showkat Ahmad Parray said,

“Nearly 1,200 incidents have been reported till now. Last year, it was nearly 900 which has increased this time. But the data that comes to us is not right in itself because there is some period during which the satellite does not capture the incidents. So if there is stubble burning taking place during that period, such incidents are not reported to us,” he said.

He said that a better way to evaluate the stubble burning is to check the area burnt, adding that the number of incidents is “not a right criterion”.

“A better way to evaluate is to see how much area is burnt. We get a separate report of the area burnt. We study it. We do not consider the number of incidents much important. The number of incidents is not the right criterion, so we focus on the area. Last year, nearly 4.5 percent of the area was burnt till this time, this year it is 3.5 percent. Last year, a total of nearly 50 to 55 percent of the area was burnt, we expect a fall of at least 10 percent in it,” he added.

Pollution has risen in Delhi where the AQI remained in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. Stubble burning has contributed to 34 percent of Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution.

On Friday morning the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city jumped to 472. Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 562, and continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 539 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe. (ANI)

Delhi: Primary Schools Shut Till Pollution Improves

By LokMarg 4th November 2022

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that primary schools in Delhi will be shut from tomorrow till the pollution situation improves.

“We’re taking all steps to control the pollution situation. In lieu of that, we’re shutting down all primary schools in Delhi from tomorrow… Also shutting down outdoor activities for all classes above class 5,” CM Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal was addressing a press conference here with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann.

“We’re also mulling whether the odd-even scheme for vehicles should be implemented,” Kejriwal said.

The Delhi chief minister also said that now was “not the time for blame game and finger pointing”.

Air Quality in the national capital continued to remain in the “severe” category on Friday, the second straight day.

Meanwhile the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a plea in connection with the Delhi air pollution.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has convened a high-level meeting today to discuss the implementation of curbs on polluting activities under the final stage of the Graded Response Action Plan.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to shut schools till air quality in the capital improves.

The SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) Friday revealed that the stubble-burning contributed 34 percent to Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution.

The air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category on Friday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city jumped to 472. Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 562 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 539 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

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Delhi Wakes Up To Thick Smog, AQI Dips To Severe

By LokMarg 3rd November 2022

Delhiites woke up on Thursday to a thick envelope of smog as air quality in the national capital and in adjoining regions, dipped into severe category again.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital at 8 am was at 364 (in the ‘Very Poor’ category) and at 7 am the recorded AQI stood at 408 (‘Severe’). Unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spikes in farm fire incidents are attributed to the dip in air quality.
An AQI between 401 and 500 is categorized as severe.

Noida, which is part of the national capital region, slipped to an AQI of 393, in the ‘very poor category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 318 and continued to remain in the ‘very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

An AQI range between 0 to 100 is considered good, while from 100 to 200 it is termed moderate and from 200 to 300 it is poor. AQI ranging from 300 to 400 is said to be very poor.

North Delhi Air Quality recorded the poorest as almost all the stations in the region displayed AQI above 400.

Most of the stations in the capital have an AQI above 300 with the exceptions of a few like Mandir Marg in central Delhi.

According to data by SAFAR, Dhirpur in Model Town plunged to an AQI of the 457-a level at which even healthy people can fall ill.

The AQI near IGI Airport (T3) also stood in the ‘Very Poor’ category today at 346. On Wednesday, the AQI in the area was recorded at 350.

With air pollution worsening in the national capital, Delhi authorities halted all construction work and demolition activities till further orders.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has urged the Delhi government to shut schools till air quality improves. (ANI)

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Delhi Govt Shifts Blame On People Over Worsening Air Quality

By LokMarg 2nd November 2022

“People” of Delhi are responsible for the bad air quality of the national capital, said Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday.

“I appeal to people if possible work from home and avoid taking out private vehicles. 50% of the pollution is from vehicles. People shouldn’t burst crackers,” Rai told reporters here.
The air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the ‘very poor category on Wednesday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 354.

Noida, which is part of the national capital region, slipped to an AQI of 406 and continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 346 and continued to stay in the ‘very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

The deteriorating air quality in the Delhi NCR region remains a problem around this time of the year. It also becomes a contentious issue with various state governments blaming each other for what has now become an annual problem.

The burning of agricultural waste in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, according to analysts, is one of the primary reasons for the rising air pollution in the region.

“Stubble burning in Punjab is happening due to Centre as they didn’t support Punjab govt, farmers to stop it” added Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister in the AAP-led Delhi government.

“I request the UP and Haryana governments to form a regional special task force to reduce air pollution in areas adjoining Delhi like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida. The pollution problem is not the state’s problem. It happens due to the air system that develops” Rai said while urging the governments of BJP-led governments of the states adjoining Delhi.

Meanwhile, last week, Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas intensified efforts to ensure enforcement and compliance with its directions after the air quality of the national capital plunged to the “severe” category on Friday.

Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha told ANI that severe category AQI is very dangerous for health and it affects even healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

“In such circumstances, the school should be closed and outdoor movement should be prohibited because severe category AQI impacts all aspects of life,” Jha said.

As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the commission has been informing and sensitizing all stakeholders (industrial houses, commercial establishments, construction agencies, State Govt/ GNCTD agencies, ULBs in NCR, and the public at large) about the preventive, mitigative and restrictive actions required to be taken under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Stage-I and Stage II of the revised GRAP were invoked by the Commission on October 5 and October 19 respectively.

“Besides GRAP and a comprehensive “Policy to curb air pollution in NCR”, various statutory directions, advisories and orders including have been issued by the Commission from time to time for appropriate measures by various agencies concerned,” the Ministry had said in a statement. (ANI)

Kejriwal To Give Rs 5000 Monthly To Workers Affected Due To Construction Ban

By LokMarg 2nd November 2022

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the labour minister of the national capital Manish Sisodia to grant monthly financial assistance to each construction worker who has been affected because of paused construction activities.

“Construction activities have been stopped across Delhi in view of pollution. I have directed Labour Minister, Sh Manish Sisodia, to give Rs 5000 pm as financial support to each construction worker during this period, when construction activities are not permitted,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Previously, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas on October 30 (Saturday) had imposed a ban on activities related to construction work in the wake of the deteriorating air quality of the National Capital Region.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sub-committee had decided to implement Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR in a move to prevent any further deterioration of air quality on Saturday.

The air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 354.

Noida, which is a part of the national capital region, slipped to an AQI of 406, and remained in the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 346 and at the ‘very poor category, as per the data released by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) India earlier this morning.

Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 too 500 or above it is considered as severe.

A little less poor air quality in Delhi’s satellite cities gave some respite to the people, but it is only a relative term from the previous day.

While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters during Saturday’s emergency meeting of CAQM, the Commission noted that due to unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spike in farm fire incidents, it is considered necessary to implement Stage III of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR.

The CAQM further noted that the winds are forecasted to be CALM in the coming days and the wind direction is likely to change course frequently. Thus, there is a high likelihood of the pollutants getting trapped in the region and not getting dispersed effectively.

Further, the CAQM appealed to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in implementing GRAP and follow the steps mentioned in the Citizen Charter under GARP. Apart from that, a 9-point action plan as per Stage III of GRAP was made applicable in the entire NCR.

The 9-point action plan includes steps to be implemented/ ensured by different agencies and Pollution Control Boards of NCR and DPCC, as per the official statement. (ANI)

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8 Out Of 10 Kids Facing Respiratory Problems Due To Smog

By LokMarg 1st November 2022

The poor air quality in the national capital and NCR region is affecting children badly and almost eight out of ten children in the hospital are coming up with respiratory problems, says an expert.

The air quality continues to remain very poor category with AQI recorded at 385 on Tuesday morning.
According to Dr. Anamika Dubey, Senior Consultant Pediatrics, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, “In this season, many children come to the OPD, I think 8 out of 10 patients are coming with complaints of cold, cough and increasingly breathing issues, cough increases more at night and distress. Moreover, small children are not able to express themselves they are not able to say that they are having a problem but it’s giving them a lot of problems.”

R Dubey said that pollution increases the number of poisonous gases and particulate matter they do affect the lungs of babies and children.

“Normally, the smaller children would start with flu-like symptoms, they will have a cold cough. And in some patients, it increases to a point where they are like they face difficulty in breathing. We have to actually admit them and put them on medicines and nebulizers. So, that they can breathe properly. These are all harmful gases, they do have an effect on the breathing of the child and the conditions of the lungs,” she said.

She further recommended wearing masks and washing hands frequently as a precaution.

“It is very difficult to tell children to wear a mask every day and keep a distance from the child who’s having a cold. We cannot say children that don’t go to school, otherwise most of the time they will be sitting at home.”

Dr. Dubey said that the only way to protect a child is to keep washing their hands with clean water.

“During air pollution, the problem increases for those children who are asthmatic or have bronchitis. The problem that many times increases for the child who is always been more allergic and they have a tendency to precipitate more severe bronchitis kind of situation. They do have more problems as compared to others,” Dr. Dubey added.

She said that mild patients are treated at home and moderate to severe patients in the hospital.

“We categorize the patients in terms of mild, moderate, and severe. So mild patients are treated at home and moderate to severe patients are in the hospital, and then put on medications. We don’t give them antibiotics. But we put them on anti-allergens, nebulizer, etc.,” she explained the treatment given to the children category-wise.

The air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘very poor category on Tuesday morning as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city stood at 385.

Noida, which is part of the national capital region, recorded an AQI of 444 and slipped from ‘very poor’ to the ‘severe’ category, while Gurugram’s AQI stood at 391 and continued to remain in the ‘very poor category, as per data released by SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) India.

The air quality in Delhi’s satellite cities showed no improvement from the previous day. Gurgaon is predicted to slip into the ‘severe’ category from Wednesday, November 2. Noida’s air quality is also expected to dip further.

The city of Delhi too fared very poorly. Narela in North West Delhi reported the highest AQI at 571. North Delhi Air Quality is the poorest at the moment as almost all the stations have AQI above 400. Most of the stations in the capital have an AQI above 300 except a few like Mandir Marg in central Delhi.

According to data by SAFAR, Dhirpur in Model Town registered an AQI of 494. The AQI near IGI Airport (T3) also stood in the ‘very poor category on Tuesday with an AQI of 332.

Delhi slipped into ‘severe’ on the AQI meter on Saturday. With air pollution worsening in the national capital, Delhi authorities halted all construction work and demolition activities till further orders. (ANI)

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Delhi Air Quality Index 342,Very Poor Category

By LokMarg 31st October 2022

The air quality of the national capital remained ‘very poor’ as the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) calculated its quality index as 342 on Monday.

The Air Quality Index for the day has been marginally lower than the recorded AQI level of 350 on Sunday.
In the area near Delhi University, the AQI has been recorded as 372 under the ‘very poor category. Meanwhile, the SAFAR recorded it ‘very poor’ at 362 in the Lodhi Road area.

Meanwhile, the Pusa area was also under the ‘very poor’ category with an AQI level of 340.

The AQI at Mathura Road, IGI Airport Terminal 3, and IIT Delhi also felt ‘very poor quality of air with the levels at 358, 336, and 322.

Notably, the Air Quality level in Delhi was in the ‘very poor category on Sunday as well.

The air quality has been deteriorating in the national capital before Diwali, but it increased further as people burnt firecrackers here and because of the stubble burning in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan in the winter, its fumes and pollutants move across cities.

Stubble burning had turned worse across Punjab, giving no hope of improvement in Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) as the capital gasps for clean air.

Increasing incidents of stubble burning in Punjab this year have become a matter of serious concern with the Union Environment Ministry pointing out that the AQI is likely to sharply deteriorate as only about 45-50 percent of sown area in the state had been harvested till October 24.

Sources in the Environment Ministry had told ANI that the contribution of stubble burning to the adverse air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region has been increasing sharply and is about 18-20 percent currently with the trend only likely to increase further.

As per the Standard Protocol developed by ISRO for Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), for the period September 15, 2022, to October 26, 2022, total paddy residue burning events reported in Punjab were 7,036 compared to 6,463 for the same period during the last year.

CAQM further stated that about 70 percent of farm fires during the current paddy harvesting season were reported only from six districts namely Amritsar, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala, and Tarn Taran.

These districts account for 4,899 cases against a total of 7,036 incidents in Punjab. These traditional six hotspot districts also accounted for about 65 percent of the total burning incidents during the last year for the same period. Out of a total of 7,036 reported cases, 4,315 stubble-burning incidences were reported during the last six days alone i.e., about 61 percent.

As per the Standard ISRO Protocol, for the period of September 15 – October 28 this year, a total of 10,214 paddy residue burning events have been reported in Punjab compared to 7,648 for the same period during the last year, which is a significant increase of about 33.5 percent.

Out of the total 10,214 reported cases, 7,100 stubble-burning incidents were reported in the last 7 days alone which is about 69 percent, added the official.

While in Haryana, the total number of farm fire events reported for the period September 15, 2022, to October 26, 2022, is 1,495 compared to 2,010 for the same period last year. There is about a 26 percent reduction in paddy residue burning events in Haryana so far during the current year.

Meanwhile, Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas has intensified its efforts to ensure enforcement and compliance with its directions in view of deteriorating air quality in Delhi.

The Commission has issued closure directions to 45 coal-based industrial units in Rajasthan. Further, 32 coal-based units (9 in Haryana and 23 in UP) have been closed down permanently. 48 units (8 in Haryana and 40 in UP) have temporarily suspended their operations till these units are converted to approved fuels.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sub-committee decided to implement Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR in a move to prevent further deterioration of air quality.

“Under this, all construction work will be banned except for special projects like Central Vista and other projects of national need,” read the official press release from Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas.

While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters during the meeting, the Commission noted that due to unfavorable meteorological conditions with slower wind speed and sudden spike in farm fire incidents, it is considered necessary to implement Stage III of GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR. (ANI)

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Air Quality In Some Areas Of Delhi Falls Into Severe Category

By LokMarg 29th October 2022

Air quality in Delhi fell into ‘severe’ category with an AQI of 457 in the Anand Vihar area on Saturday and it was also recorded in the severe category in Noida, as per National Air Quality Index.

According to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s overall air quality was 381 in the ‘very poor’ category in the afternoon. In the Delhi University area, the air quality was at 399, also in the ‘very poor category.
On Mathura road, it was 380. In Gurugram it was 349 while Noida was worst with an AQI of 411 in the severe category.

Today morning the air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category with the overall air quality index (AQI) at 309.

Morning walkers, cyclists, and joggers working out near India Gate amid dipping air quality in New Delhi were seen affected due to the dip in the air quality.

“We’re from Gurugram. There is breathing difficulty and irritation in the eyes,” a member of a group of cyclists told ANI.

People felt this way because, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI in the overall Delhi region was in the ‘very poor category at 309.

“Local surface winds are 6 to 8 km/h (Max Temperature 32 deg C; Min 14-15 deg C) for the next three days that cause weak dispersion of pollutants. Peak ‘Mixing layer height’ during daytime (~1.0-1.5 km) leads to moderate vertical dispersion of pollutants,” read SAFAR’s official statistics.

The air quality watchdog also informed that strong winds at the transport level blowing from the northwest direction from stubble burning areas are likely to transport pollutants to Delhi and its share in Delhi’s PM2.5 is likely to increase further.

Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha told ANI that Severe category AQI is very dangerous for health and it affects even healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases. (ANI)

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