HC order violated, but state witnesses lesser pollution : The Tribune India

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HC order violated, but state witnesses lesser pollution

The Jalandhar police have registered 33 cases under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC. Tribune Photo: Sarabjit Singh

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 20

The state witnessed lesser pollution on Diwali this year as compared to last year, thanks to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s restrictions on bursting crackers.

The state saw 24 per cent increase in air pollution level this year on Diwali as compared to pre-Diwali day, whereas the increase was 70 per cent last year, as per the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

However, the level of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), which directly affects breathing, was higher which says that the air quality was poor as compared to last year. The PPCB, however, claims that it was not due to the Diwali celebrations. They claim that the air quality was already poor as compared to last year even before Diwali because of low level of air dispersion due to very low wind velocity and early harvesting of paddy crop.

The state’s air quality index (AQI) on Diwali last year had increased from 130 on pre-Diwali day to 228 on Diwali, a rise of 70 per cent in the pollution level.

This year, the AQI increased to 328 as compared to 265 on pre-Diwali day, indicating an increase in pollution level by 24 per cent.

The percentage increase in AQI in Mandi Gobindgarh was 17 per cent this year as compared to 163 per cent last year, Ludhiana 24 per cent against 50 per cent, and Amritsar 45 per cent as compared to 63 per cent.

PPCB Chairman Kahan Singh Pannu told The Tribune it was a reason to cheer that people understood their responsibility towards environment. He said 100 teams of the PPCB were on a vigil across the state.

He said incidents of stubble-burning recorded about 3 times increase on Diwali at 1,188 as compared to an average of 400 per day.

Meanwhile, people across the state were seen flouting the HCdirective. Several cases were registered in cities, but most of the defaulters were let off with a warning. In Jalandhar, the police registered 33 cases under Section 188 of the IPC. In Patiala, seven cases were registered, while three FIRs were lodged in Amritsar.