As favourable wind improves AQI, minister says ‘next 15 days crucial’

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai connected Saturday emphasised the urgent request to tackle aerial contamination crossed bluish India, calling the adjacent 15 days “crucial”.

Data from the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management, developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) successful Pune, showed an summation successful the publication of stubble burning cases (14.6%) to Delhi’s pollution. The transport assemblage continued to beryllium the biggest contributor to pollution, with emissions accounting for astir 15% of the mediocre air.

India Gate connected Saturday. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Strong aboveground winds (8 to 12 kmph), on with changes successful upwind absorption and above-normal temperatures facilitated the dispersal of pollutants connected Saturday. According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the upwind velocity during the time reached up to 15 kmph.
Four aerial prime monitoring stations, among the 40, reported “very poor” aerial arsenic of 4 p.m. connected Saturday. This included Anand Vihar, which was the astir polluted with an AQI of 370. Alipur, Jahangirpuri and Punjabi Bagh stations reported “very poor” AQI supra 300 and 26 stations reported “poor” aerial quality.

The IITM connected Saturday said the aerial prime is acceptable to beryllium successful the “very poor” class till Tuesday. For the adjacent six days, it said the aerial prime is apt to beryllium successful the “very poor” to “severe” category.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, portion 71 cases of stubble burning were reported successful Punjab connected Friday, the fig was 3 successful Haryana, 23 successful Uttar Pradesh and nary successful Delhi. In all, 3,298 cases of workplace fires person been reported since September 15 – 1,749 successful Punjab, 689 successful Haryana, 849 successful Uttar Pradesh and 11 successful Delhi.

Meanwhile, Rai held a property league connected Saturday pursuing a cardinal gathering with the Union authorities connected Friday, attended by Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Bhupender Yadav, on with situation ministers from neighbouring states, to measure and code the worsening aerial prime successful the region.

“Last year, a akin gathering was held successful August, allowing america much clip to strategise… Had it been conducted 3 months earlier, we could person tackled the contamination occupation much effectively,” Rai said.

He added that Punjab has shown a promising downtrend successful the stubble burning incidents, with lone 1,500 cases reported this twelvemonth compared to astir 5,000 cases successful 2022. He, however, noted an uptick successful incidents successful Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

“The adjacent 15 days are crucial,” Rai said, adding that winds from the northwest tin transportation pollutants into Delhi, intensifying the contamination crisis. “While stubble burning has reduced, the post-Diwali play volition beryllium critical,” helium added.