Quality may further deteriorate with a drop in temperature and low wind speed, say officials
After a brief respite, the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi-NCR again entered the'very poor' category at 377 units, with the most polluted sites being industrial towns of Ghaziabad and areas near the Delhi Technological University (DTU) in Rohini. The air quality may further deteriorate with a drop in temperature and low wind speed, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) officials said.
Low wind speed and humidity brought in by a drop in temperature have spiked the pollution levels, officials said. The AQI at Delhi's pollution hotspot Anand Vihar was recorded at 393 units, while DTU stood in the 'severe' level at 595. The NCR towns of Ghaziabad and Noida, too, reeled under the'severe' levels at 448 and 415 units, respectively.
"The wind pattern is still fluctuating with south-westerly winds bringing in moisture, leading to trapping of pollutants. The wind speed is low, below 10 kmph, which does not help in disbursal of pollutants," a senior CPCB scientist said.
Earlier this week, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) had asked the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) in a meeting to tell the Delhi government to start patrolling of small industrial units using cheap fuels leading to pollution.
The DTU, surrounded by Narela, Bawana, and Badli in outer Delhi, has been witnessing massive pollution levels. It was discussed in a review meeting with L-G Anil Baijal on Thursday.Anand Vihar is surrounded by two industrial areas — Sahibabad and Patparganj. These areas use non-approved fuels to run their industries and burn the industrial waste thereafter. Similarly, DTU where over 2,000 students are enrolled, is located near Badli and Bawana, which have a number of unauthorised small factories and industries. The poor quality fuels used by them go unchecked. There are around 10,000 rubber units in operation and need to be checked.
Besides, the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar is in a bad condition, as there are no pavements or road carpeting in the area, the official said.
The L-G had advised the city's environment department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and other agencies to devise a mechanism for door-to-door checking and patrolling in these areas for better enforcement of non-usage of non-permitted fuels.
AQI READINGS
Delhi: 377 (very poor)
Ghaziabad: 448 (severe)
Noida: 415 (severe)
Gurugram: 332 (very poor)
Faridabad: 312 (very poor)
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