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Delhi

No breather for residents as pollution level soars even after monsoon

High pollution levels have been recorded in the city’s air quality even after monsoon, says the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to a CPCB study, though the air quality in places such as Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad in Haryana has improved after the monsoon, it did not reach the level that can be considered safe for humans in Delhi.

“During the survey, it was found that while Varanasi and Faridabad were recorded to have higher levels of pollution during winter, quite contrary to Delhi, it improved during and after the monsoon,” the study said. The survey was conducted after a similar report, examining pollution level during monsoon, was published by the US Embassy this year.

It was found that there was an increase in the concentration of air pollution in many cities, including Delhi, even during monsoon, which is considered the best season in terms of air quality.

“The level of air pollution often improves after monsoon as rain help wash out dust particles. However, smoke and automobile fumes are hardly affected by rainwater. This explains why Delhi’s air quality does not improve even after the monsoon as compared to tier II cities such as Varanasi,” said SP Byotra, head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He added there had been a rise in the number of patients with respiratory allergy.

“Breathing in poor quality air has already taken a toll on the health of people in Delhi. While there has always been a rise in patients with respiratory problems and allergic reactions during winters, with the increasing pollution, we are now getting such patients almost round the year, including post monsoon,” he said. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) had already declared Delhi as the world’s most polluted city in 2014 and the new data suggest that Delhiites would not be getting any respite from the toxic air, even after the monsoon season.

According to a new WHO report on ambient air pollution level, Delhi is the most polluted city in the world following Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

Surveys have also indicated that considering the rising pollution, people have started opting for air purifiers as a solution.
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