India
Though authorities said that there was a significant improvement in the air quality as compared to Thursday, the overall air quality index (AQI), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), was recorded at 426 which still falls in the 'severe' category
New Delhi: The national capital’s pollution level continues to be ‘severe’ on Friday — two days after Diwali celebration, which witness rampant flouting of Supreme Court’s order by Delhiites regarding bursting of crackers.
Though authorities said that there was a significant improvement in the air quality as compared to Thursday, the overall air quality index (AQI), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), was recorded at 426 which still falls in the 'severe' category.
Curiously, however, as has been reported by MyNation, Delhi during the Diwali of 2017 had registered less pollution, with an AQI of 367 despite no restriction on bursting firecrackers put in place by the Supreme Court.
Twenty-eight areas in Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality, while four areas recorded 'very poor' air quality, according to the data of the CPCB.
Here are some pictures that vouch for the sorry state of Delhi’s air quality:
North Delhi Municipal Corporation sprinkles water on trees in the area around Delhi University's North Campus to settle the dust (ANI)
Sprinkling of water (ANI)
The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said the city's air quality has "improved significantly" since Thursday, but the recovery was slow due to low surface wind speed.
"At present, it continued to be in 'severe' but likely to improve further and will become 'very poor' by afternoon and will improve further by Saturday. The contribution of PM2.5 in PM10 which was 75 per cent on Thursday (against normal 55 per cent) has been reducing," the SAFAR said.
Latest visuals from Lodhi Garden (ANI)
Lodhi Garden (ANI)
It also said the contribution to the PM2.5 pollution due to stubble emission was marginal.
Latest visuals from Rajpath (ANI)
Rajpath (ANI)
Rajpath (ANI).
On Friday, while the PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) level was recorded at 272 gm-3, the PM10 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) level was recorded six times the permissable limit at 422 gm-3.
Latest visuals from RK Puram area (ANI)
RK Puram area (ANI)
Delhi's air quality on Thursday went off the charts to 'severe plus' emergency category as smog caused due to smoke from firecrackers engulfed the national capital.
A smoggy day in New Delhi (Photo by Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The unabashed violations across India of the Supreme Court-imposed restrictions on firecrackers during Diwali have cast doubts whether such orders can be enforced in such a short time.
But legal experts say the order is certainly implementable in the long run, even if it appears a monumental task now, and law enforcement agencies must be made accountable for the breaches that can hurt the ambitious efforts to combat pollution.
A Man wears a face mask on a smoggy day in New Delhi on 8 November 2018 (Photo by Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
"The Supreme Court's order could not have been obeyed at the time of festival but it did succeed in many areas Such magnum orders can only be treated as messages of restraint, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan said.
Buildings are seen shrouded in smog in Gurgaon on 8 November 2018. (Photo by Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
With inputs from PTI
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