Delhi's air quality deteriorated to 'severe' category on Saturday as Punjab and nearby regions recorded the highest number of stubble burning incidents this season, officials said.
The national capital's air quality remained “severe” for the second consecutive day on Friday, while government agencies said it is likely to improve slightly.
Air pollution may lead to a faster spread of COVID-19 infections as it causes coughing and sneezing, government officials told a parliamentary panel on Friday, according to sources.
Faced with rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Centre had on October 29 introduced a new law through the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020, that puts in place a powerful oversight body and provides for up to five years of jail term and Rs one crore fine for violators with immediate effect.
Delhi government has banned the sale of firecrackers as the national capital records a sharp rise in air pollution levels ahead of Diwali. The ban will also cover green crackers.
Delhi air pollution: The AQI deteriorate to its worst level 'Severe' category on Friday morning. At ITO, the CPCB said that AQI was 448.
The chief minister said that at present, Delhi has been facing two issues - the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising air pollution - adding that the AAP government is making all efforts to deal with the situation.
The national capital and its suburbs were covered with a layer of thick haze Thursday morning, with raging farm fires and a fall in the wind speed and temperatures pushing air quality to the worst levels in around a year.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused Delhi's neighbouring states for their failure in providing an alternate option of stubble burning to their farmers which leads to major pollution across Northern India.
Stubble burning has peaked in the neighbouring states of Delhi and its share in the pollution level in the national capital has risen to 40 per cent, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitoring agency SAFAR said on Sunday.
The share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution rose to 40 per cent on Sunday, the maximum so far this season, according to a central government air quality monitoring agency.
A marginal improvement in Delhi's air quality was recorded on Saturday, though it remained in the 'very poor' category. According to a government forecasting agency, the air quality is likely to improve due to favourable wind speed.
Increased surface wind speed and faster dispersion is likely to result in significant improvement of air pollution levels in the national capital by November 1, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, which comes under the aegis of Ministry of Earth Sciences stated on Friday.
Delhi air pollution: The Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to the severe category in Delhi-NCP on Friday morning. The slow speed of air has led to the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere.
The national capital's air quality inched closer to the "severe" category on Thursday, primarily due to calm winds and spike in farm fires.
According to the ordinance, a Commission for Air Quality Management will be set up for the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The notification by the Ministry of Law and Justice said an ordinance will provide for the constitution of a commission for better coordination, research, identification and resolution of problems surrounding the air quality index.
ir quality in the national capital deterriorated to 'severe' on Thursday as the level of pollutants continue to rise. According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee data, the Air Quality Index is at 401 in Anand Vihar, 405 in Alipur and 410 in Wazirpur; all three in 'severe' category.
To curb air pollution in the national capital this Diwali, the Kejriwal government to allow the use of only 'Greem Crackers', Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.
Pollution levels dipped in the national capital on Wednesday, primarily due to increased wind speed, but the relief could be short-lived.
Top News
Latest News
