Air quality over Delhi-NCR is deteriorating day by day. The present weather conditions are one of the major factors which is responsible for increase in pollution apart from other factors. Since more than 1 week, winds are very light over Delhi-NCR region and direction of winds is also changing frequently.
Now, the winters are approaching, therefore minimum temperatures are also falling. Due to this, haze forms during morning hours and dust smoke particles along with other pollutants gets deposited on the water vapor available in haze. Also, due to light and variable winds it remains suspended/lingering around earth surface.
Until unless there are strong northwesterly winds it will not get dispersed. But, we don’t expect speed of winds to increase for at least next 8-10 days. So, the local pollutants will keep getting accumulated over already worsening air quality. So, situation will become more severe in coming days.
In wake of Delhi pollution deteriorating with every passing day, concerned authorities have finally come out with some strict measures. As per weathermen, situation is likely to worsen even more in the next 10 days.
These preemptive measures will be applied between November 1 and November 10 that would include shut down of Mundka industrial area, ban on construction and excavation activities, shutting down of industries that run on coal and biomass, ban on stone crushers, brick kilns and hot mix plants.
Along with this, Diesel generators have already been banned and Badarpur power plant has been shut down since October 15, when the Graded Response Action Plan came into force.
Moreover, in the coming days, as stated by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority even a ban on private vehicles or come back of odd and even road rationing measures could also be applicable.
The Delhi Metro has already introduced 21 additional trains that would provide 812 additional trips. Meanwhile, the transport department has yet not introduced any extra buses to increase availability of public transport.
As stated by the chairman of EPCA, these measures are being introduced keeping in mind the forecast and the need for emergency actions to combat pollution.
Due to unfavorable weather conditions and coming festival of Diwali, the pollution levels that improved slightly and came down from ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ could again shoot up sharply.
Image Credits – India Today
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