It has been almost a week since the pollution situation in Delhi and the NCR has been alarming. While there seemed a ray of hope yesterday as the sun had come up and the visibility was slightly better, the sky conditions today only spell bad news.
The national capital has been battling with the worst air quality conditions in quite a few years. Thick smog has blanketed the skies of the national capital along with the NCR region. The residents have been choking and gasping for fresh air.
At present, several parts of Delhi and NCR are observing high PM 2.5 levels. In fact, the figures show that these are hazardous. While Anand Vihar tops the chart with 488, Punjabi Bagh is not far behind at 485. Other areas include the Mandir Marg where PM 2.5 levels are at 473, RK Puram is at 459 and Dwarka is slightly behind but still hazardous at 419.
Keeping into account the prevailing conditions, at least 1800 schools across the national capital have been closed today. Not only were the Diwali crackers to be blamed but other factors including the stubble burning and open fires are also contributors.
As per international air quality standards, Delhi’s PM 2.5 levels are at least 10 to 12 times higher than it should be.
Now, during the next 24 to 48 hours, some relief is expected and there is likely to be an improvement in the air quality levels. This will be due to an increase in the wind speed which will carry the pollutants away and clear the sky to quite an extent.
Image Credit: newyorktimes.com
