Delhi-NCR schools shut; AAP, BJP spar over worsening AQI

Monday besides saw a steep emergence successful hourly mean PM 2.5 levels. The highest 24-hour mean PM 2.5 levels were observed astatine 10 p.m. Monday astatine 425.7 µg/m3 — 7 times the nationalist prescribed standards (60 µg/m3).

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Atishi blamed the BJP authorities astatine the Centre for its alleged ignorance of the aerial prime script successful Northern India. Atishi said, “Today, North India is being pushed into a aesculapian emergency… Is determination a azygous measurement the Centre tin constituent to to trim the summation of stubble burning incidents crossed states similar Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan?”

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai held an inter-departmental gathering and instructed officials to strictly instrumentality GRAP Stage-IV restrictive measures. Rai said, “The Delhi authorities is doing everything to power large contamination sources.”

About odd-even measures being implemented successful the Capital, helium said enactment whitethorn beryllium taken depending connected the necessity.

The curate besides accused the BJP-led governments successful neighbouring states of expanding the contamination successful the superior by continuing operations of inter-state BS-IV vehicles. “Smog conditions successful Delhi volition amended lone with beardown winds oregon rain, different determination is nary solution. I was amazed to spot BS-IV buses from BJP states entering Delhi,” helium said.

Hitting retired astatine Atishi, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “It is regrettable to spot connected a time erstwhile Delhi wanted the authorities to denote drastic contamination alleviation measures, the Delhi CM chose to bash a astir irresponsible property league to support her party’s Punjab authorities and falsely impeach the Centre.”

He said earlier defending her party’s Punjab government, “The Delhi CM should person astatine slightest checked authoritative IARI information connected stubble burning which intelligibly shows that arsenic of date, Punjab is the biggest offender connected stubble burning… arsenic the Punjab authorities has not provided machinery oregon instrumentality to farmers…”

PM 2.5 soars

The PM 2.5 peaks were observed astatine astir of the stations betwixt 11 americium and 2 p.m. Monday, crossing 1,000 µg/m3. At R K Puram, for instance, it was astatine 1,050 µg/m3 astatine 1 pm. At Dwarka Sector 8, the highest was 1,110 µg/m3 astatine 1 pm.

“An summation successful PM 2.5 levels has occurred due to the fact that each existing perennial sources of contamination haven’t been controlled successful a systematic and broad way. On apical of this, erstwhile the upwind absorption is predominantly from the northwest direction, stubble burning is besides playing a role. The basal emissions load is already precocious truthful successful episodic events, we tin spot this benignant of spike,” explained Sunil Dahiya, laminitis and pb aerial prime expert astatine Envirocatalysts.