Not solely Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh too is gasping for recent air. With the very best index worth of 494, UP’s Greater Noida was one of the vital polluted cities on Friday, whereas Ghaziabad and Noida, the place the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded as 410 and 440 respectively, remained in ‘Severe’ class.
Besides, UP’s Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Meerut, and Khurja proceed to be in ‘Very Poor’ class as a consequence of pollution within the air and Muzaffarnagar and Gorakhpur had been within the ‘Poor’ class.
The UP authorities, whereas highlighting that the state has witnessed a pointy dip in circumstances of stubble burning, has blamed the follow in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana for the deteriorating air high quality in Delhi and UP. Scientists and consultants, in the meantime, known as excessive air air pollution ranges a fallout of approaching winters.
Lucknow Hit Too
The state’s capital too has been affected by the alarmingly excessive air air pollution ranges in UP. On Wednesday, Lucknow’s AQI plunged to ‘Poor’ class. This was maybe the second time within the final six months when the air high quality index for town dipped to ‘Poor’.
Adityanath Pins Blame
Blaming Punjab and Haryana for the deteriorating air high quality, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mentioned in an announcement: “On my way to Delhi, I landed in Ghaziabad. As soon as I stepped out of the aircraft, my eyes started burning, I realised it was due to smog. When I checked NASA satellite images to see the areas affected by stubble burning, I noticed that the entire area of Punjab and Haryana was highlighted with ‘red’. And when air from these states travels, it envelopes entire Delhi and parts of UP.”
The assertion got here just a few days after the Supreme Court, involved over the alarmingly excessive air air pollution ranges in Delhi, issued notices to the governments of Delhi, UP, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to submit an affidavit inside per week, detailing the steps they’ve taken to curb the annual menace.
Stubble Burning Dips in UP
UP’s agriculture division mentioned a pointy dip has been seen in incidents of stubble burning — 906 circumstances as much as October in 2023. “It is far less when it comes to the stubble burning incident figures in previous years. In 2017, UP witnessed more than 8,500 cases of stubble burning,” mentioned CP Srivastava, deputy director, Agriculture, UP.
According to the obtainable information, a complete of three,017 circumstances of stubble burning had been reported in 2022. However, as a consequence of stringent measures and consciousness campaigns, solely 906 circumstances have been reported within the first 10 months of 2023. Previously, as many as 8,784 circumstances of stubble burning had been reported in 2017, 6,623 in 2018, 4,230 in 2019, 4,659 in 2020, and 4,242 in 2021.
Srivastava credited strict crop residual administration and consciousness drives among the many farmers as the principle trigger behind the sharp dip within the circumstances.
Dip in NCR Too
In Shamli, till October 30, 2022, six such incidents had been reported. However, in 2023, solely 5 incidents had been reported. Similarly, in Meerut, there have been three incidents in 2022 and 4 in 2023. In Bulandshahr, there have been six incidents reported in 2022 and 7 in 2023, and in Baghpat, there have been two incidents in 2022 and one in 2023. Hapur had two circumstances final yr, however as a consequence of elevated consciousness this yr, no such incidents have occurred so far.
Vehicular inhabitants additionally a trigger
Experts at CSIR- Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, cited vehicular combustion as one of many foremost causes behind the excessive air pollution ranges whereas some consultants blamed the approaching winters.
“In UP, Lucknow alone has witnessed 6.3 per cent rise in the number of registered vehicles between the years 2022 and 2023. The total number of vehicles, reported on June 1, 2023, was 2,816,291 whereas the number of vehicles registered between 2021 and 2022 was 2,650,286,” said IITR’s environmental monitoring division’s pre-monsoon report of 2023.
UC Shukla, regional officer of the UP Pollution Control Board in Lucknow, added: “Winter conditions lead to lower atmospheric pressure, which traps suspended particulate matter such as PM2.5 and PM10 in the lower layers of the atmosphere.”
Regular inspection, water sprinkling, allow to solely BS V compliant automobiles can minimise air pollution
Experts and senior scientists at IITR concluded that solely collective efforts can result in any change. “It is suggested that only BS-V compliant vehicles are allowed to ply on the streets due to their lower emissions, and the government should promote the adoption of electric vehicles. RTO should carry out thorough vehicle inspections, whereas municipal corporations should ensure regular sprinkling of water and wet sweeping on the roads in order to boost air quality,” an professional with IIT mentioned.
