Smog starts to form in Delhi, air quality 'very unhealthy'

NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control board and Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) asserted that due to the meteorological condition of the Capital, smog is forming, while all the air quality monitoring stations in Delhi showed that the air quality is "very unhealthy". The agencies predicted if the crop burning increases and firecrackers are burnt then the condition would be critical.

"Moisture in the air is increasing and the cold wind is entering from Uttar Pradesh. Both these can make the air of the Capital heavy, hence the change of smog formation will increase," said a CPCB official. He elaborated that the smog is already forming in various places in Delhi and if more polluted wind mixes up with this then the polluted air would not be able to go out.

Studying the predictions of the CPCB, the EPCA has already warned the Delhi government and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee regarding the condition. The EPCA officials have said that more traffic jam and use of crackers can make the condition dangerous.

"We have informed the government and the police as well to control the traffic jam and to intensify the raids against the firecrackers. Delhi air is not in a condition to afford more pollutants," said CPCB chairperson Bhure Lal.

In response, the environment department of the Delhi government has assured that they have intensified the raids on crackers and also approached the Delhi police to cooperate. "We have asked all the officials and agencies to look into firecracker bursting and we also urge that the residents should cooperate with us in this process. If anyone found to burn crackers the residents should report police immediately," said an official.

Meanwhile, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting Research (SAFAR), a government agency under the ministry of earth sciences, had released a pollution forecast on Monday stating Delhi's air quality on Diwali was likely to be classified as "very poor". On October 12, three out of six air quality monitoring stations showed that the condition is very unhealthy while the other three showed that the condition is unhealthy.

However, the environmentalists of the city have welcomed the steps by the EPCA on the ban of diesel engines and the closure of the Badarpur power plant. They have said that if the firecracker burning can be controlled then the air quality will not enter the most dangerous stage like the last time.