New Delhi is suffering from 'severe' air pollution
Air quality in India's capital New Delhi remained in the "severe" category for a third straight day on Saturday because of increased stubble fires and vehicle emissions, the country's main environment monitoring agency said.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi state stood at 441 on a scale of 500, indicating "severe" conditions that are hazardous, in line with the federal pollution control board's guidance.Delhi's polluting of the environment typically worsens in October and November due to farmers burning away stubble, and on coal-fired power plants in surrounding states and traffic fumes.
The quality of air has worsened due to the unusually high fire emissions, and no quick recovery is expected unless a drastic decrease in fire counts occurs, Safar, India's main environment monitoring agency, said in its daily bulletin. "Quality of air is forecast to remain at the serious to the bigger end of very poor category for another two days," it added.
Covid-19 cases have increased in Delhi as a result of ongoing festival season with a record 7,178 cases being reported in the state on Friday, the best by any state on your day. On Thursday, the Delhi government made a decision to ban firecrackers in the national capital and announced steep fines for any violations. Delhi has installed anti-smog guns at various locations over the state to spray water droplets into the air, to reduce the level of air pollution.
There, however, have already been calls for more stringent steps to address the pollution issue.Swadeshi Jagran Manch, a nationalist group close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, said green crackers made locally by practically a million employed in the factories ought to be allowed at Diwali, the largest festival for Hindus, rather than a blanket ban that may destroy the domestic industry.
"Delhi's air stays in extreme category AQI. Time for the govt to check out putting a stop to all construction activities, at least for a week. Also thermal power plants in the immediate periphery of Delhi shd stop operating," Vimlendu Jha, an environmentalist and founder of an activist group, Swechha, wrote on his Twitter page.
