Delhi breathes easy after 50 days, AQI in ‘moderate’ category
NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is among the main reasons for air pollution in Delhi-NCR and several steps are being taken to encourage farmers to use paddy residue for animal feed and industrial purposes, a top Union environment ministry official told parliamentarians on Wednesday.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Leena Nandan, while making a presentation on air pollution in Delhi-NCR before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, also took suggestions from the MPs to reduce air and water pollution.
Sources said she told the MPs that the government was trying to promote the use of Basmati rice, whose residue is used for animal feed, besides using the paddy straw for industrial purposes.
She also listed vehicular emission as another reason for air pollution and said the government was making efforts to promote e-vehicles in the national capital.Construction activity in the national capital and around was also listed as a reason for the pollution and the secretary said strict measures were being taken to regulate it.
The sources said the secretary told the panel that the average Air Quality Index in Delhi this time was better than reported in previous years.
Officials of the ministry and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee were present during the meeting.
Several MPs made suggestions to promote greenery in Delhi-NCR, check vehicular emission and dissuade farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh from burning paddy straw.
Delhi breathes better air
Delhi breathed clean air on Wednesday after a gap of 50 days as the air quality was recorded in the ‘moderate’ category, offering much-needed respite from the high levels of pollution.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city was recorded at 178 at 4 pm, registering an improvement from 268 on Tuesday.
Earlier, the AQI was recorded in the ‘moderate’ category with a reading of 198 on October 15. However, the AQI had deteriorated and shifted to the ‘poor’ category the following day, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.
Speaking about the improved air quality, an official of the India Meteorological Department said strong surface winds were forecast in the city on Wednesday. The winds will blow till December 7 when a new western disturbance is expected, which will lead to moderate fog starting December 8.
Of the 38 air quality monitoring stations in the city, only Sri Aurobindo Marg reported air quality in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday, while eight others showed air quality in the ‘poor’ category. The remaining reported ‘moderate’ air quality, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).The CPCB classifies AQI between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, between 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, between 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, between 201 and 300 ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and above 400 ‘severe’. For November 27 to 29, the DSS estimated vehicular emissions contributed between 21 per cent and 24.6 per cent to the city’s PM2.5 levels, while “other sources” accounted for between 22 per cent and 24.6 per cent.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecasted that the air quality is likely to remain in the moderate category from Thursday, with a prediction of deterioration to the poor category on Friday and Saturday.
With clean air, the daytime temperature was recorded at 28 degrees Celsius, three notches above the normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 12.5 degrees Celsius, 2.5 notches above the season’s average, with humidity levels fluctuating between 66 per cent and 44 per cent during the day. The weather department has forecast mist for Thursday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 26 and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively. (PTI)