In Delhi, 1 person inhales about 20 cigarettes in 2 hours

New Delhi, November 17, 2021, Saturday

People have experienced lockdowns due to the Corona virus epidemic, but the turnout has come at a time when Delhiites are reeling from rising pollution. The Delhi government has announced closure of schools, colleges and government offices for a week to protect people from the spread of toxic air.

While the farmers in the surrounding area are being held responsible for burning straw in their fields for the rising pollution in Delhi, the apex court has also commented on the lockdown in various measures instead of blaming the farmers. Rising air pollution was likened to an emergency. The situation has arisen where people have to walk around the house wearing masks. It also sought information from the Center and the state on whether emergency measures have been taken.

Information has also been sought on what steps are being taken as part of the contingency plan to combat pollution. The state government had also admitted that breathing in Delhi's air was equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes. This means that no citizen of Delhi, even if he is not addicted, smokes about 50 cigarettes a day. According to the information received, on the last Friday of this week, people were advised to stay at home as air quality was deteriorating in Delhi.

According to the World Health Organization, 21 of India's cities are among the 20 most polluted in the world. In some cities, the air quality is ten times worse than the standard. It is believed that in addition to the increasing number of vehicles and straw fires, the geographical location of Delhi is also responsible for the pollution. Due to its proximity to the Thar Desert, Delhi gets sand and dust. In the north, air from Afghanistan and the Middle East also brings fine dust.

With the exception of the monsoon season, the pollution in Delhi is higher than the indicated figure, but due to the slowing of the wind speed in winter, the pollutants remain in the air instead of flowing, which spreads the pollution. The traditional Diwali festival, popular for fireworks, is also celebrated during the winter months, which has led to a gradual increase in pollution. This scenario occurs every year but in some years during the winter in some places the air index reaches 300 to 400. The air quality index was recorded at 8 on Saturday morning. It was 10 times worse than average. An index of 30 is generally considered good. 80 to 100 is considered worse than normal. While the air quality index around 200 is considered to be in a very serious state of pollution.

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