NEW DELHI: In a stark revelation, NASA’s newest satellite tv for pc imagery has laid naked the increasing menace of poisonous smog over Northern India, with Delhi on the epicentre of what consultants at the moment are deeming an imminent air air pollution “crisis.” NASA Worldview’s visuals paint a disconcerting image, portraying a thick layer of smog blanketing the northern plains of India. The repercussions of this alarming phenomenon lengthen past Delhi, as a number of cities in North India grapple with deteriorating air high quality, hinting at a broader environmental problem.
Farm Fires Amplify Pollution Woes
The smog’s origin is multifaceted, doubtlessly stemming from varied polluting sources, together with a surge in farm fires in Punjab and Haryana. Recent knowledge from NASA underscores a staggering 740% improve in these fires, intensifying considerations about their contribution to the hazardous air high quality.
Delhi’s Escalating Air Quality Crisis
Delhi, particularly, finds itself trapped in a relentless cycle of worsening air high quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) persistently lingers within the ‘extreme class,’ pushed by elements reminiscent of vehicular emissions and smoke from stubble burning in neighbouring states.
Neighbouring Cities Grapple With Soaring Pollution Levels
The air high quality state of affairs extends its grip to neighbouring cities, with Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida, and Faridabad registering alarming AQI ranges. The severity of the state of affairs calls for pressing consideration and decisive measures.
Artificial Rain As A Contingency Plan
As Delhi contends with extreme air high quality, Environment Minister Gopal Rai declares a novel strategy—synthetic rain by means of cloud seeding. Collaborating with scientists from IIT-Kanpur, the federal government goals to execute a pilot challenge if particular cloud circumstances are met on November 20-21.
Supreme Court Steps In
Expressing grave concern, the Supreme Court directed an instantaneous halt to stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. The court docket holds native authorities accountable for stopping crop burning and emphasizes the malfunctioning of beforehand put in smog towers, urging swift repairs. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia made the native State House Officer, below the general supervision of the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, answerable for stopping crop burning.
Further, the highest court docket famous that smog towers put in as per an earlier order should not working and directed the federal government to make sure they’re repaired.
Odd-Even Rule Returns
In response to escalating air high quality considerations, the Delhi authorities reinstated the odd-even rule from November 13 to twenty. This site visitors administration measure goals to mitigate vehicular emissions and alleviate the burden on the town’s polluted air.
Health Risks Amplify
Residents and commuters in Delhi report respiratory issues, heightening the urgency for complete actions. With the Air Quality Index hovering past 400, the well being dangers, notably for these with respiratory points, develop into more and more alarming. The AQI between zero and 50 is taken into account ‘good’; 51 and 100 ‘passable’; 101 and 200 ‘reasonable’; 201 and 300 ‘poor’; 301 and 400 ‘very poor’; and 401 and 500 ‘extreme’.
As Northern India grapples with this escalating environmental disaster, the necessity for coordinated efforts and progressive options turns into extra crucial than ever.
