Delhi's Absent Air Quality
"Air pollution of such magnitude has left children gasping for breath."
"It causes headaches in children -- which were previously unheard of -- burning eyes and regular breathing discomfort."
Jarnail Singh, director, Climate Group
Delhi has turned into a gas chamber due to smoke from crop burning in neighbouring states."
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister
"The air smelled like burning leaves."
"Life in the smog is very strange. Many people have a persistent dry cough and itchy eyes". "Everything is hazy, so the eyes don't focus on objects in the distance. Everything looks morose."Siddharth Singh, Noida resident, Delhi satellite
Delhi, a massive city of 29 million residents, is in an emergency situation of air pollution greater than 20 times the safe limit for human health. The levels of pollution and smog are now three times that of Beijing, the formerly acknowledged world capital of hazy atmosphere and high pollution levels blocking out the sun, thanks to its huge factories belching out coal-fired pollutants through their high smoke stacks located in every city of considerable size -- and given China's population of 1.3 billion people there are many such cities.
India, whose population level is now contesting that of China as certifiably the world's largest national population, has many of the same problems that China has faced. At the popular tourist site the Taj Mahal, 240 kilometers distant from Delhi, authorities placed a van with an air purifier, hoping to be able to clean the surrounding air.
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| Pollution levels in New Delhi have reached a three-year high. |
Particulates measuring less than 2.5 microns was over 700 micrograms per cubic metre of air on Monday, according to the air quality index (AQI) considering that the World Health Organization judges 25 to represent a safe daily maximum. Delhi's residents have been urgently advised to remain indoors for haven from the reading of over 500, indicating a potential risk of serious heart and lung disease.
A 300 percent increase in hospital admissions resulting from respiratory problems, with children suffering particularly -- due to the toxic air, has been reported with alarm. Schools will remain closed until next week in the city. The city's chief administrator introduced a ban of even= and odd=numbered privately registered vehicles from roads on alternate days up to November 15. A temporary policy that will result in 1.2 million vehicles kept out of the city.
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| Volunteers and police wearing pollution masks instruct drivers to obey odd and even day rules to help reduce traffic emmisions and smog in New Delhi on Monday, November 4. |
Air pollution levels have steadily risen in recent years. The Air Quality Index named Delhi the most polluted capital city in the world in 2018, a distinction no city would appreciate being attributed to it, but highlighting Delhi's failure to control these steadily worsening air quality conditions to the detriment of its citizens' health.
Delhi residents will have a shortened life expectancy of over a decade, resulting from breathing in the toxic air, according to AQI. The situation is totally self-imposed by lax regulations and adherence to age-hold cultural habits, among the worst of which is the seasonal burning of crop stubble by surrounding farmers in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, all contributing to the high pollution levels at this cycle in the year.
Added to which are vehicle and industrial emissions, along with a large number of Diwali festival fireworks last week.
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| Air pollution in New Delhi and several other Indian cities deteriorated on Monday to the worst recorded level, a day after revelers set off firecrackers and rockets to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali |
Labels: Air Quality, Environment, Farming, Firecrackers, India, Pollution, Population, Traffic
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, November 06, 2019
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