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Delhi Air Quality Update:
As the air quality in Delhi continues to worsen, concerns about the post-Diwali scenario loom large in the minds of the city's residents. Many individuals, year after year, implore the government and seek assistance from the high court, detailing the hardships they endure during the festival due to the rampant use of firecrackers.
Newborns, the elderly, those with respiratory issues, and asthma sufferers, especially those who faced exacerbated breathing difficulties post-COVID, find it increasingly challenging to carry out their daily activities in the face of the city's compromised air quality. The combined impact of firecrackers, vehicular emissions, and the burning of agricultural residue acts as a villain in the narrative of Delhi's air quality.
The news about the Bombay High Court's proactive measures in addressing the issue of firecrackers, limiting their use to specific hours between 7 pm and 10 pm to mitigate air pollution, has prompted Delhi residents to question whether similar regulations will be considered for the nation's capital. However, the pertinent query remains: will this time constraint effectively benefit both cities?
Aarti Khosla, Director of Climate Trends, shares her insights:
"Air pollution in Delhi is once again reaching the severe to emergency category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) levels crossing 400. Our analysis indicates that the delicate interplay of wind speed, year-round air pollution, and seasonal crop burning all contribute to the annual concoction of noxious gases.
Currently, 81% of the wind in Delhi originates from Punjab and Haryana. While the data on agricultural fires in these states reflects a substantial decrease of 47.8% and 38.04%, respectively, compared to the figures from October 2022, the high volume of air movement from these regions perpetuates the adverse impact of significant pollution.
Meteorological factors also play a crucial role, as local sources such as construction dust, vehicular emissions, and small-scale industries contribute significantly to the pollution levels. While farm fires and festive activities often trigger high air pollution levels in Delhi during October and November, year-round emissions from power plants, industries, traffic, and construction must be strictly regulated to yield any meaningful results.
Additionally, factors such as rainfall, wind speed, and temperature influence both regional and local air pollution levels. The strict control of emissions from human-induced activities at their source is crucial in reducing the influence of meteorology on the air quality of the national capital."
The alarmingly high Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi compelled the central government to initiate all possible measures to curb further escalation of pollution levels.
In a bid to combat the hazardous air quality, the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) is on the verge of implementing an innovative solution - generating artificial rain by dispersing a mixture of salts into the clouds. However, as per the institute's evaluation, the implementation of this rain-inducing technique is unlikely to take place within the current week. Professor Manindra Agrawal, from the computer science and engineering department at IIT Kanpur, is leading the project.
