Capital’s air quality remains ‘very poor’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 21

Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' for the third straight day today and authorities warned that the situation may "worsen" in the coming days.

The air quality index (AQI), as maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), was 326 in a scale of 500.

Environment Minister Imran Hussain, in a letter to the chief of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, said ambient air quality has improved comparatively but things will deteriorate, sources said.

Hussain wrote, "However, various meteorological forecasts and reports indicate that this phase is temporary and ambient air quality may once again worsen in the coming weeks."

He also issued a slew of directions, including roadside spraying of water, mechanical sweeping and preventing burning of waste in the open to combat the rising pollution levels.

He said municipal bodies should avoid manual sweeping and in case alternative is not available then water must be sprinkled beforehand.

"Provide electrical heater to security guards in winter night to discourage burning of biomass for heating. non-biomass heating facility should be provided at the night shelters," he said.

The levels of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 and PM10 were 146 and 235 microgrammes per cubic metre as per the Centre-run SAFAR, as against the safe standards of 60 and 100.

A 'very poor' AQI comes with the warning that people may develop respiratory illness on prolonged exposure, the sources said.

Restrict outdoor activities of kids: Govt to parents

The Delhi Government has directed schools across the national Capital to appeal to parents to continue restricting outdoor activities of their wards as long as the pollution conditions persist.

The government restricted outdoor activities in schools and asked parents to follow the same at home when the pollution level in the city touched alarming levels earlier this month.

After two days of relatively cleaner air, its quality in once again turned 'very poor' yesterday as the impact of sporadic drizzle in flushing out pollutants ebbed and more vehicles hit the streets on the first working day of the week.

"Schools are directed to explain to parents about the worrisome pollution situation prevailing in and across Delhi and appeal to them to further restrain their children from undertaking outdoor activities till severe pollution conditions persist," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in an official order.

"Outdoor activities and exposure in polluted conditions could have long-term detrimental effects on health of children. Therefore, parents may be requested to adopt preventive approach to safeguard their child's health," it added.

The directive by the DoE comes following an advisory from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) which recommended restricting outdoor activities for children among other measures as part of the Graded Response Plan to deal with pollution.