Quite disappointing
Delhi air quality persists in ‘very poor’ category; Mumbai’s AQI remains in ‘moderate’ category
With winter approaching, major metropolitan cities like New Delhi and Mumbai are encountering declining air quality, prompting authorities to swiftly implement measures aimed at reducing pollution levels.
In New Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 350 at 9 am, indicating that the air quality continues to persist in the ‘very poor’ category. As per the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, it is anticipated that the air quality will likely remain ‘very poor’ until at least November 2.
This is despite the fact that the number of farm fires in Punjab has seen a sharp dip this year. However, the national capital’s air is the most polluted it has been since 2020.
According to data maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average AQI in the city was at 210 between October 1 and October 29, lower only than the 257 recorded in October 2020.
To curb the trend of worsening air quality, starting Wednesday, only electric, CNG and BS-VI compliant buses can enter Delhi from other states. Additionally, from November 1, a campaign will be conducted by the Transport Department at all entry points to check the buses entering the city and action will be taken against any buses that do not follow the rules.
While the reasons behind Delhi being among the most polluted capital cities in the world are a complex mix of geography, vehicular destiny, dust and farm fires, weather plays a vital role too.
The primary pollutant in Delhi after monsoon rains is particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10).
These particles can be blown away by strong winds and can be washed away by rains.
Meanwhile, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at 161 on Tuesday morning, categorising it as ‘moderate.’ The most concerning air quality was noted at Bandra Kurla Complex, reaching an AQI level of 257. Following this, Sion recorded an AQI of 218, Bandra East’s Kherwadi area at 198, and Navy Nagar in Colaba at 189.
The winter deterioration in air quality in Mumbai is fast becoming an annual talking point, just like it has been in Delhi for the past decade. For long, Mumbai was considered largely immune to the issue of air pollution, and the associated problems of haze and smog, thanks to its coastal location.
But the last two years have shown that this geographical advantage no longer offers reliable protection. Last year saw the longest spell of poor air quality in the city, extending from November to January. On some days, Mumbai’s air was more polluted than Delhi.
Read Death By Breath Series – Mumbai holds its breath | Why construction dust is lethal | BMC’s rulebook gets a burial
Despite the deteriorating air quality in the country’s financial capital, there is no visible health advisory to caution its citizens. Less than a fortnight back on October 18, air pollution in Vile Parle — a suburb in western Mumbai where the airport is located — was ‘severe’ with the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaching the 400-mark and touching 411. But the residents of Vile Parle didn’t get any health advisory from the city’s civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
It has been over almost eight months since the BMC announced the plan to issue public health advisories in February while presenting the budget. It was also part of the Mumbai Air Pollution Mitigation Plan (MAPMP) which promised to warn residents and provide advisories during periods of worsening air quality, akin to warnings provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) ahead of heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued “Stop-Work” notices to construction sites, including at the site of The Prestige City in Mulund’s Yogi Hills, for flouting its guidelines on air pollution mitigation. The move comes days after The Indian Express series ‘Death by Breath’ shed light on a Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plant operating out of the neighbourhood that supplies raw materials to the Prestige City construction plot, among others.
The ‘Death by Breath’ series also revealed that inhaling PM 2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns) levels exceeding 120 is akin to smoking 5-6 cigarettes daily, resulting in severe health consequences.
In Haryana, while the paddy stubble burning cases may have come down significantly this year, there is no corresponding improvement in air quality. People in Jind and several other towns are breathing unhealthy air as its quality has taken a beating.
The Jind town air quality has turned “severe”, while several other Haryana towns are witnessing “poor” or “very poor” air quality amid the ongoing paddy harvesting in the state. Rohtak, Karnal, Kaithal, Bhiwani, and Bahadurgarh have been placed in “very poor” category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Meanwhile, Bengaluru registered an AQI of 55 on Tuesday, categorising it as ‘satisfactory’, as per CPCB
According to AQI monitoring chart, an AQI between 0 and 50 is termed ‘good’, between 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and an AQI beyond 400 AQI is ‘severe’.
Express Web Desk – 2023-10-31 11:11