Air quality remains 'very poor' for third day
New Delhi: Delhi saw the overall air quality fell to a "very poor" category on Thursday with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score over 300.
Meanwhile, reports claimed that local pollutants are to be blamed as they have not been dispersed yet.
However, as state agencies maintain that air pollution is due to stubble burning, which is contributing towards more than 60 percent of the city's unhealthy air, experts say Delhi is to be blamed for its own pollution.
Speaking to Millennium Post, environmentalist Veer Singh says more than half the pollution is coming from the national Capital itself.
"Stubble burning has just started in neighbouring states, so how can they contribute towards more than 60 percent of the population in Delhi," asked Singh.
The stubble burning activity in Haryana, Punjab and nearby border regions have shown an increasing trend over the last 48 hours. However, Central-Government based System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) estimates the wind directions are not favourable for the direct plume transport to Delhi and the biomass contribution as just
5 percent.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that both external, as well as internal sources of air pollution, need to be tackled. He also added that people of Delhi cannot be blamed for air pollution alone.
"This is no time for finger-pointing," he added while addressing reporters. However, Singh feels, otherwise.
"There are so many reasons for it - vehicle pollution, construction work and factories burning chemicals. It is still happening and stubble burning has just started, it can't contribute so much to air pollution," he added.
As air quality slips in Delhi, stringent actions have been taken by the state government to tackle the situation. However, according to SAFAR, the overall air quality of Delhi was at the lower end of the very poor category on Thursday.
This is the first time in the season that it entered into this zone and is likely to remain there for the next two days with a marginally increased magnitude.
