Major cities in the northern region continue to suffer due to deterioration in air quality.
While firecracker bursting during Diwali has increased the pollution level in the region, the illegal practice of burning crop residue is also going on unabated in some parts of Punjab and Haryana despite a government ban on it, further aggravating the problem of air pollution.
The people in the region continued to woke up to dense smog with poor visibility on Monday.
According to the Haryana Pollution Control Board, State’s 13 districts in the national capital region are worst affected due to the high pollution levels. While Chandigarh and Malwa belt in Punjab is also affected due to poor air quality.
As per latest available data with Central Pollution Control Board, Faridabad and Gurgaon in NCR continue to suffer due to air pollutants in ‘severe’ range. The air quality index reported pollution levels at 486 (PM 2.5 particulate matters less than 2.5 microns) in Faridabad and 450 in Gurgaon while it was reported 423 in the national capital on Monday. Any reading between 400 and 500 on the national air quality index means the air is severely polluted.
Other cities in Haryana also reported high concentration of PM 10- (particulate matters with diameter of 10 microns or less) and PM2.5 (particulate matters less than 2.5 microns)-form of air pollution, which can cause severe health problems.
On the other hand, Chandigarh, joint capital of Punjab and Haryana has witnessed rise in pollution levels more than three times the standard (safe) level of 100 units at some places after Diwali. At all the three places including Sector 22, 17 and 29, where the air quality was monitored after Diwali, the respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) was found to be higher that the safe level of 100 microgram per cubic metre. In Sector 22, it was 316 mcg/cu m and 330 mcg/cu m in Sector 29.
Despite implementation of stringent laws aimed at improving air quality and climate change action plan which focuses to combat pollution already put in place, a large number of people in the region are still at risk of being exposed to toxic air.
Meanwhile, the Met Department has predicted that people of the region might get some respite from smog in next 48 hours.
“The smog in the region is likely to get cleared in next 48 hours,” said Surender Pal, Director Chandigarh Meteorological Department while talking to The Pioneer.
He said that Haryana’s districts in NCR, Malwa belt in Punjab are worst affected due to the smog. Many districts are witnessing poor visibility of less than 400 m due to smog.
A day before visibility was less than 150 m in Karnal, Kaithal, Hisar, Faridabad and some parts of Haryana, he said. The situation is likely to improve with the increase in the speed of northwesterly winds, he added.