Capital remained enveloped in dust; condition to prevail over the weekend, to improve thereafter
Dust enveloped the national Capital with the air quality remaining in the 'severe' category for the third consecutive day on Thursday. While the particulate matter (PM) units came to a few notches down from Wednesday, but the air quality index (AQI) was still within the severe mark at 431 units. PM 10 levels (coarser particles) levels at 8 pm stood at 1263 units, over 12 times the safe standards while PM 2.5 (one of the major pollutants in Delhi-NCR) levels at 265 units were three times the permissible limit, as recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
After two days of spiked pollution levels, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal asked civic agencies to stop all civic construction work till June 17.
The permissible limits of PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels are 100 units and 60 units, respectively. The dust particles remaining suspended in the air made the weather too hazy as well as lowering visibility even during the day.
However, the air quality levels which deteriorated due to a dust storm rising in the western part of the country is going to remain to hover till the weekend, after which it will start settling.
The AQI of the city is similar to that during the winters when the wind speed is low and pollution levels spike beyond the safe limit.
According to meteorologists, air quality is expected to start improving with the number of dust particles suspended in the air being reduced. The dust storms are mostly associated by high-speed winds moving at 30-40 kmph.
"The air quality may start improving over the coming three days, as the dust storms have started to recede. Delhi was affected more, as it is located close to the desert. While such hazy conditions during the storm are not unusual during these summer months, the pollution levels did spike too much this year," said a senior CPCB scientist.
Delhi had witnessed similar dust storm inducing hazy conditions in 2015.
The LG had called a meeting of the special task force along with the Environment Pollution (prevention and control) Authority (EPCA) in which it was decided to ask civic agencies for sprinkling of water on roads till the condition persists.
BAIJAL CALLS MEET OF SPECIAL TASK
- L-G Anil Baijal had called a meeting of the special task force along with the Environment Pollution (prevention and control) Authority (EPCA) in which it was decided to ask civic agencies to sprinkle water on roads till the condition persists.
- The air quality may start improving over the coming three days
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