New Delhi:
The national capital is gearing up to turn into a gas chamber as the air quality deteriorated to the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday, the first in this season, with several places in the national capital nearing alarming levels of pollution, according to authorities.
On Thursday, the air quality at Delhi’s Lodhi Road remained in the “poor” quality and the AQI was recorded at 224 and 272 for PM 2.5 and PM 10, respectively.
Air Quality of #Delhi's Lodhi Road area: PM 2.5 and PM 10 remain in 'poor' category at 224 and 272 respectively. pic.twitter.com/6AW8pWSivx
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and apprised him on the stubble-burning situation in the state. He said that the problem of stubble burning could get aggravated, despite various steps being taken by the state government, with the close of the harvest season, and needed to be urgently addressed. They also discussed the compensation to farmers in lieu of stubble burning.
Delhi: Punjab CM met PM Modi today over compensation to farmers in lieu of stubble burning, he also urged for his intervention to ensure settlement of Rs 31000 cr cash credit limit gap&assistance for the preparation of 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji pic.twitter.com/69EwyH6Tdo
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2018
On Wednesday, Anand Vihar was recorded an AQI of 358, Dwarka Sector 8 registered AQI of 376, ITO recorded 295, and Jahangirpuri and Rohini were at 333 and 330 respectively, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
Stating that a number of factors were responsible for the deteriorating air quality, including vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors, CPCB warned further deterioration of the air quality in Delhi-NCR in the coming days.
Among the meteorological factors behind the falling air quality, the main reason was the drop and change of wind speed, which was now flowing from the stubble-burning areas, CPCB official said.
Concerned over the alarming air quality in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain demands immediate halt on activities, including crop stubble burning and garbage, which considered a contributing cause for pollution in Delhi-NCR.
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Latest satellite images showed crop residue burning at “dangerous” levels and it should be stopped immediately or the entire north India, including Delhi, would suffer serious health hazards, Hussain said.
