Delhi: In the event that the AQI rises above 450, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has alluded to the reinstatement of the odd-even car rationing scheme.
The air quality in Delhi has gotten worse, approaching the “severe plus” level, which has led to discussions about reintroducing the odd-even car system.
The air quality index (AQI) increased to 437 at 7 am on Thursday, a decline from 419 at 4 pm on Thursday. The daily 4-pm monitoring of the 24-hour average AQI showed an upward trend on Wednesday, reaching 401 after declining to 397 on Tuesday, 358 on Monday, and 279 on Friday.
The weekend’s relatively better air quality was temporary and was caused by rain. Pollution levels were exacerbated by post-Diwali firework activity and a return to stubble burning in surrounding ring states. Unfavorable climatic conditions, including as calm breezes and low temperatures, further impeded pollutant dispersion.
The air quality in nearby places such as Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida, and Faridabad was also found to be extremely poor to severe.
In the event that the AQI rises above 450, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has alluded to the reinstatement of the odd-even car rationing scheme. This policy, which was last put into effect in 2019, permits cars to run on different days according to their registration numbers.
According to a collaborative investigation between the government of Delhi and IIT-Kanpur, on Wednesday, vehicle emissions were responsible for roughly 38% of the city’s air pollution, but on Thursday, that percentage dropped to 25%.
The second largest source of recent air pollution, accounting for 30 to 35% of the emissions, turned out to be secondary inorganic aerosols like sulfate and nitrate.
Delhi’s air quality continued to deteriorate in spite of actions including a moratorium on building and limits on diesel trucks. Delhi was named the world’s most polluting city on Thursday, according to IQAir.
Due to calm breezes and low temperatures, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that there won’t be much relief in the upcoming days. Beginning on November 21, there may be a decrease in air pollution due to an increase in wind speed.
According to a Pune-based system, stubble burning was responsible for 7.5% of Delhi’s air pollution on Thursday; this percentage is predicted to drop to 3.5% on Friday and 3% on Saturday.
It is confirmed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) that Delhi will continue to implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) measures.
The Delhi government has formed a six-person special task force (STF) to enforce stringent GRAP implementation in response to the rising levels of air pollution. The Delhi Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, Transportation, Traffic, and Revenue departments are represented on the STF, which is chaired by the city’s special secretary for the environment.
According to medical professionals, breathing in Delhi’s dirty air is the equivalent to smoking roughly ten cigarettes a day. A study by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute emphasizes that extended exposure lowers life expectancy and raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and respiratory issues.
