A thick layer of smog engulfed the national Capital on Tuesday pushing visibility down to 600 metres in the afternoon. Delhiites also witnessed nippy weather conditions with the minimum temperature touching 12.3°C. High concentration of pollutants post-Diwali coupled with absence of wind has trapped the smog over Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) region, said a Met official. However, the situation is expected to improve as the weatherman has predicted light rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The weather conditions have been favourable for trapping all the pollution from firecrackers. The wind speed has persistently remained low, which also slowed down the movement of the present western disturbance. The smog from Diwali has been locked in Delhi for two days now. The smog is present a little higher above ground level,” said
RK Jenamani, director at meteorological office, IGI airport. lack of moisture is also another reason for the heavy concentration of pollutants in the air resulting in dense smog persisting throughout the day, he added.
Interestingly, smog condition was not so bad a day after Diwali, which Met officials said was because of a low mixing height of particles in the atmosphere. The maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded five notches below normal at 25.4°C, while the minimum was three notches below average. Humidity levels veered between 93 per cent and 53 per cent. Met officials have predicted the condition to improve slightly by Wednesday. “With the onset of western disturbance, light rain or thundershowers are expected on Wednesday evening, which may continue till Thursday,” informed an official. The maximum temperature on Wednesday will be 26°C, while the minimum may settle at 13°C.
However, over the weekend, fog is likely to stay in the city for longer hours with the withdrawal of the western disturbance. “Currently, mist or shallow fog is occurring daily in the morning hours for a short period of time. After the passage of the western disturbance, the fog conditions are likely to prevail for longer duration over the Capital, November 9 onwards,” he added.
Bad Air Day: Doctors in one breath ask people to ‘cover up’
New Delhi: Choking post-Diwali smoke engulfed the Capital on Tuesday making way for health hazards and aggravated lung and respiratory ailments. The sharply deteriorated air quality has triggered respiratory ailments like asthma, bronchitis and other lung disorders, according to doctors in the Capital.
“Complaints of respiratory ailments are mostly from children and the elderly, who have a family history of lung problems. This air is very harmful and one should try to avoid coming in contact with it as much as possible as it can cause pneumonia too. Usually the harmful particulate matter settled in the air we breathe leads to sneezing, coughing, viral infections, runny nose, sore throat and acute bronchitis,” said Dr Amit Dhamija, consultant at the Department of Chest Medicine of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
“The cold air hangs heavy and doesn’t dissipate easily, so the particulate matter mixed with the air stays for a longer time and harms people coming in contact with it leading to problems of breathlessness and bronchitis. Wearing masks won’t help much. The elderly can take vaccine for influenza as a preventive measure,” said Dr S Chandra, neurologist at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
“During this time, we advise people to wear warm clothing, especially in the mornings and evenings and continue their medications without fail. People already suffering from asthma and chronic diseases need to take special care by covering up and avoiding any contact with the smog,” said Dr Dhamija.