UP, Haryana, Delhi to blame for poor air quality, says EPCA

New Delhi, October 15 

As stricter anti-air pollution measures kick off from Tuesday, a Supreme Court-mandated green panel has asserted that local sources of pollution in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are the primary reasons for poor air quality that plagues the Capital every winter.

Stack (chimney) and dust pollution as well as open burning of plastic and rubber scrap are a major cause for concern, member of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) Sunita Narain said on Monday.

While Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has blamed stubble-burning in the neighbouring states for deterioration of air quality in the city, SAFAR, the ministry of earth science’s air quality and weather forecast service, has said the share of stubble-burning in the PM 2.5 concentration in Delhi has remained less than 10 per cent so far.

Particulate matter 2.5 stands for particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Particles narrower than 10 micrometres are most hazardous because they can get deep into the lungs, and some may even get into the bloodstream.

The effect of stubble-burning ranged from 0 to 9 per cent between October 10 and 13, according to a SAFAR report released on Monday. 

“Delhi’s air quality index (259) is at the higher end of the poor category. It touched the very poor category last night for a brief period, indicating the peak impact of stubble fires to a maximum of 8 per cent,” it said in a report.

Narain said stack and dust pollution as well as open burning of plastic and rubber scrap were a major cause for concern. — PTI