Pollution up 40% in a week as stubble burning begins

The Times of India , Thursday, September 28, 2017
Correspondent : Shilpy Arora

GURUGRAM: There has been a 40% rise in air pollution in the city this week as compared to last week. Pollution control board officials and experts attribute this increase to a constant decline in wind speed and the onset of stubble burning season in Punjab and Haryana. The situation, they say, could become worse ahead of Diwali.

While last week's highest level of particulate matter (PM) 2.5, a marker of air quality index, was 98.06 micrograms per cubic metre (g/m3), it increased to 137.87 g/m3 this week. The national safe standard prescribes the upper limit of concentration of PM2.5 as 60g/m3.

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, mornings in the city are getting worse. "For the past two weeks, mornings are continuously getting more and more polluted. The highest level of PM2.5 has been recorded between 6.30 am and 10.30 am on all days in the past one week. As both average temperature and wind speed are going down, the concentration of particulate matter increases in the air," said a senior scientist.

In fact, a decline has been witnessed in wind speed in the past six days. Last Friday, the wind speed was recorded at 1.31 metre per second, while it came down to 0.98 metre per second on Sunday. It further went down to 0.82 metre per second on Tuesday and 0.72 m/s on Wednesday.

"Weather conditions play a major role in the concentration of PM2.5 in the atmosphere. In the past one to two weeks, a decline has been noticed in temperature and wind speed. These two contribute to a rise in PM2.5 in the lower atmosphere," Jai Bhagwan Sharma, regional officer, HSPCB, told TOI.

Some experts also blamed the onset of stubble burning season in Punjab and Haryana for an increase in air pollution.

Niranjan Raje, a former member of Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority, said, "NASA maps are already showing red dots scattered across the NCR region. This, coupled with Dussera and Diwali next month, raise concern over increase in air pollution levels. The authorities should not wait for foggy days and strictly implement the anti-stubble burning norms to avoid an alarming rise in air pollution this year."

However, Sharma said, "We are taking all possible steps to spread awareness among farmers to prevent stubble burning. Also, we have imposed heavy penalties as per the guidelines. So far, stubble burning is only reported at a couple of places and that too very far from the city. However, we are ensuring complete ban on crop residue burning."

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/pollution-up-40-in-a-week-as-stubble-burning-begins/articleshow/60861975.cms
 


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