On Sunday morning, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 428.
Pollution levels in Delhi were recorded in the severe category for the fifth consecutive day. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 14 places in Delhi recorded AQI 400+ at 7 am on Sunday.
According to media reports, 37% of pollution in Delhi is caused by stubble burning in Delhi and surrounding states. Also, 12% of pollution is due to vehicular smoke.
The third phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to reduce pollution in Delhi has been implemented from November 15. There is a provision to ban vehicles that cause excessive pollution. On the first day of implementation of GRAP, the traffic police collected a fine of around Rs 5.85 crore.
Apart from Delhi, AQI has reached close to 400 in many cities of Haryana. In view of the alarming pollution, the Haryana government has decided to conduct online classes for children up to class 5 in all schools in the state.
6 pictures of pollution in Delhi
People wearing masks reached India Gate amid pollution in Delhi on Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, fog had settled near Humayun's Tomb in Delhi. An AQI of 400+ was recorded here.
Visibility in the Qutub Minar area has decreased due to pollution. There is no possibility of reduction in pollution here on Sunday.
Visibility reduced due to pollution in Delhi's Bhajanpura area. Due to which people had to face difficulty in driving.
AQI reached 450+ on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway. People were appealed to drive slowly.
Fewer people reached the Kashmiri Gate Interstate Bus Terminus on Sunday morning due to pollution. It is one of the busiest bus stands in Delhi.
Masks are mandatory in Delhi schools from class 6 to 12
- Timings of government offices changed. Central government offices will function from 9 am to 5:30 pm, Delhi government offices from 10 am to 6:30 pm and MCD offices from 8:30 am to 5 pm.
- All primary (up to standard 5) schools have online classes. Masks have been made mandatory for schools from class 6 to 12.
- The government has appealed to people not to drive their vehicles. For this, 106 additional cluster buses and 60 more metro trips have been extended, so that people avoid using private vehicles.
- The Air Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has also banned buses from NCR i.e. Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan from reaching Delhi.
Ban on construction, vandalism, ban on diesel vehicles in Delhi-NCR
- Construction, mining and demolition will be banned in Delhi-NCR.
- BS-3 petrol and BS-4 diesel 4 wheelers have been banned in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. A fine of 20 thousand rupees has been imposed on violation.
- All medium goods vehicles of this category will be banned in Delhi except emergency vehicles of BS-3 diesel.
- Besides this, steps will be taken to increase the frequency of cleaning with machines and sprinkling of water before peak hours on heavily trafficked routes.
2 satellite images of pollution in Delhi
Dense fog in Delhi, Haryana is clearly visible in the image.
An Indian-American scientist has shared satellite images of pollution in Delhi.
American scientist Hiren Jethwa shared satellite images of Delhi on November 14. Dense fog is being seen in Delhi. Hiren is an aerosol remote sensing scientist at Morgan State University in the US. NASA has also shared images of Hiren.
What's next: Very dense fog will prevail over UP, Punjab, Himachal A fog alert has been declared in Punjab-Chandigarh. There is a dense fog alert for two days in Rajasthan. Very dense fog will prevail over UP and Punjab till November 15 and Himachal till November 18 during night and morning hours. Haryana, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand are likely to experience fog till November 16.
A graded action plan was implemented to tackle pollution in Delhi Pollution levels are divided into 4 categories to control pollution in the capital. Steps are fixed for each level. It is called Graded Action Plan or GRAP. Under its 4 categories, the government imposes restrictions and issues measures to reduce pollution.
- GRAP-1: Poor (AQI 201-300)
- GRAP-2: Very Poor (AQI 301-400)
- GRAP-3: Severe (AQI 401 to 450)
- GRAP-4: Very severe (AQI more than 450)
The Delhi government had said – it will not impose restrictions Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had said on Thursday morning, 'GRAP-3 ban will not be implemented.' Regarding this, BJP state president Virendra Sachdeva said that due to the inaction of the Atishi government, the pollution situation has become worse than the surrounding areas of Delhi. Areas like Rajpath also have AQI above 450. He said – People of Delhi want Gopal Rai to leave his post.
On this, Gopal Rai said that 35% contribution to Delhi's bad air is from BJP-ruled Haryana and NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh.
GRAP-1 was implemented in Delhi on 14 October GRAP-1 was implemented in Delhi NCR on 14 October after Delhi's Air Quality Index crossed 200. Under this, use of coal and wood is prohibited in hotels and restaurants. The Commission of Air Quality Management has directed agencies to strictly monitor the operation of old petrol and diesel vehicles (BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel).
The commission has also asked agencies to increase the use of anti-smog guns, water sprinklers and dust repellent techniques in road construction, renovation projects and maintenance activities.
What is AQI and why are high levels dangerous? AQI is a type of thermometer. It works to measure pollution rather than just temperature. Through this scale, the amount of CO (Carbon Dioxide), Ozone, NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide), PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter) and PM 10 pollutants present in the air is checked and shown in readings ranging from zero to 500.
The higher the amount of pollutants in the air, the higher the AQI level. And the higher the AQI, the more dangerous the air. Although an AQI between 200 and 300 is also considered bad, the situation is such that it has gone above 300 in many cities in Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. This increasing AQI is not just a number. This is also a sign of danger of upcoming diseases.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
