While the decibel level of debates over air pollution in the national Capital is going up by each passing moment, the Delhi Government has come up with an interesting four-year report on the concentration of particulate matter 10 (PM10). As per the data, PM10 level in Delhi’s air in winter this year at monitoring stations of RK Puram, Mandir Marg, Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh is lower than what it was in 2011, with slight exceptions in a few months.
Concentration of PM10 (sources include crushing or grinding operations and dust stirred up by vehicles on roads) recorded in the winter till now at RK Puram monitoring station is 410 microgram cubic metres (mgcm) in comparison with 520 mgcm in 2011. Besides, the PM10 was 550, 505 and 450 mgcm in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. However, in all the cases, concentration remains higher than the normal PM10 limit — 100 mgcm. In 2015, it remains the lowest. Similarly, in monitoring station at Punjabi Bagh, PM10 level settled at 460 mgcm this year, whereas in 2011 it was highest at 520 mgcm, followed with 530 mgcm in 2012. Though, 2013 and 2014 witnessed less concentration and settled at 450 and 390 mgcm respectively.
“Anything beyond standard limit is harmful but a comparative study of the last four years’ reports of Delhi Pollution Control Committee at these four stations shows fall in concentration of PM10 this year,” said an official of the Delhi Government. “It is to wonder then why such a hullabaloo is created on the pollution level in the Capital,” added the official.
The data tells that even concentration of PM10 in Mandir Marg and Anand Vihar stations has been recorded lower in 2015. In Mandir Marg station, PM10 settled at the lowest 350 mgcm this year in comparison to the highest 520 mgcm in 2012; the same was recorded at 380 mgcm and 390 mgcm in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Ever since monitoring station was launched at Anand Vihar in 2012, the highest PM10 level was recorded at 1,190 mgcm in 2013, followed by 960 mgcm in 2014 and the lowest 720 mgcm this year.
The data showed that in winter — from October to February — PM10 concentration in most of the stations was recorded lower this year in comparison with those of the previous four years.
“I don’t understand why there is such a huge outcry over pollution when PM10 level is lowest in almost every monitoring station,” added an official.
lately, the city’s air pollution has been in headlines with the reports of PM 2.5 and PM10 levels being recorded four to five times the normal level of the particulate matter.