Air emergency: Smog chokes the city as the AQI stays in the “severe” zone

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said that on Wednesday, the air quality in the nation’s capital remained classified as “severe,” with thick poisonous cloud, or “smog,” hanging heavily over the city.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 452 in Anand Vihar, 433, 460, 382, and 413 in RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Sri Aurobindo Marg, and Shadipur, all of which were classified as “severe” according to the statistics provided by the CPCB.

Numerous citizens and commuters in the nation’s capital reported experiencing respiratory issues and asked the relevant authorities and government to take immediate action to stop the out-of-control air pollution.

A passenger expressed worries to ANI about the declining quality of the air, saying, “This toxic air is giving us breathing problems.” The government has to act quickly to provide us some relief.

Another local, Gulab Singh Shukla, said, “Public health is becoming at risk due to the declining quality of the air.” Locals are hurting, particularly those who travel every day, and the government has to take immediate action.

Cyclist Jatin told ANI, “People are literally struggling to breathe as the air pollution gets worse.” The AQI is becoming worse every day. In light of our issues, the government and other relevant authorities need to declare new initiatives to reduce pollution.

Another citizen, Satish Mishra, said that rather than making an effort to reduce the escalating air pollution, the administrations of the northern states were blaming one another and exchanging accusations.

“This might have a more serious effect on public health than Covid if it is not controlled soon. Residents are using masks once again since the air quality is becoming worse, Mishra told ANI.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued an order compelling farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh to immediately cease burning stubble since it is one of the main causes of air pollution. The court also voiced serious worry about the dangerously low air quality in the nation’s capital.

The local State House Officer was tasked with stopping crop burning by a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia. The State House Officer was placed under the general supervision of the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.

It also mandated that the states convene on Wednesday to guarantee an immediate cessation to crop burning.

The government was instructed to make sure the smog towers that were built in accordance with a previous ruling are fixed after the highest court saw that they are malfunctioning.

The state chief secretaries were also directed by the highest court to convene a discussion on the pollution problem, either in person or by Zoom. “The Eminent Secretary ought to convene a meeting for tomorrow, either in person or over Zoom. To guarantee that we have a clearer picture and some atonement by Friday, all parties will get in touch, it continued.

It also noted that programs like odd-even for cars, which aim to address pollution, are just decorative.

Many factors, such as dust and vehicle pollution, dry, cold weather, stubble burning, burning agricultural leftovers after harvest, and commuting, may contribute to high levels of air pollution throughout the winter.

Because cold air is thicker and flows more slowly than warm air, pollution gets trapped by it rather than being carried away. This implies that compared to the summer, air pollution persists far longer in the winter.

Doctors advise that a healthy person’s AQI should be less than 50, but these days, it has risen to 400, which may be lethal for individuals with lung-related conditions and even increase the chance of lung cancer.

On Wednesday, the Prayagraj district in neighboring Uttar Pradesh saw a decline in the air quality index (AQI) to the “poor” category.