Here’s why you are gasping for breath in Delhi

Even three days after Diwali, Delhi’s poor air quality is worrying.

GN Bureau | November 2, 2016


#firecrackers   #after diwali   #smog   #air pollution   #PM2.5   #SAFAR  
Even three days after Diwali, Delhi’s poor air quality is worrying.
Even three days after Diwali, Delhi’s poor air quality is worrying.

Feeling breathless in the national capital. Well, the enthusiastic bursting of firecrackers in Delhi and its surrounding satellite towns are to blame.

 
Air quality at all 10 System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) stations, except Ayanagar, were at severe levels since 11 pm on Diwali night on November 30.
 
 
As per SAFAR, the air quality was to remain severe until November 1 morning, but likely to improve slowly from November 2. The air quality was exceedingly poor on Wednesday morning, with a thick blanket of smog over the city.
 
Those travelling on the Delhi Noida Direct flyway complained that the smog was so thick that the Yamuna floodplains were not even clearly visible.
 
A major reason for significantly high air pollution was that winds were less than 1 km/hour which is bad for air quality.
 
PM10 (µgm-3) on Wednesday was 522, which is severe. It will continue to be severe on Thursday, with PM10 (µgm-3) at 491. After three more days, it will go down to 405, which is categorized as very poor.
 
With regard to PM2.5 (µgm-3), it will be severe at 348 on Wednesday. The situation will be severe on Thursday too, with PM2.5 (µgm-3) at 315. After three days, PM2.5 (µgm-3) will reach 243, which is very poor.
 

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