Noida and Ghaziabad too reel under massive pollution levels after Diwali

Prevailing concerns over Delhi’s growing pollution levels, neighboring Noida too is keeping a close watch on the city’s air quality. The national Capital and the adjacent regions like Noida, struggled with ‘cruel’ air quality on Monday. 

The air quality deteriorated alarmingly and unexpectedly crossed the safe limits. It seems to be no breathing space on Tuesday and over the next few days contributing to ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ air quality days. 

Compared to last year, PM 10 content in Noida’s air was much higher than the permissible limits due to bursting of crackers, revealed the UPPCB board.

“We get the average figures on the basis of a manual system as we are yet to get an automatic air ambient monitoring system for Noida. Samples have been taken on the day of Diwali from different locations at different timings of the day and night. The results are yet to be out within a day or two,” said B B Awasthi, Regional Officer, UPPCB.

This has made even the healthy people to face problem in respiration while the people with asthma and other respiratory along with cardiac patients will be majorly affected due to high flow of Respirable suspended particle (RSP) in the air.

Diwali brings along massive air pollution with huge smoke which records severe air quality levels. Every year, the pollution figures start to increase at around 6 pm on the day of Diwali and remain highest in the midnight and continue till about 6 am the next day.

Even after the ban of Chinese crackers which are toxic and cause skin diseases and trigger allergies, they were found easily available in the market. These days, high air pollution is also due to stubble burning in northern states such as Punjab and Haryana. According to the pollution control board, dust from construction sites and the smoke from vehicular emissions have contributed to harmful pollutants in the air in Ghaziabad and Noida.

“For years, the rise in the pollution levels is often three- four times after every Diwali. Wind speed and humidity are the two major factors that might make the pollutants getting dispersed quickly in the air,” said Vikrant Tongad, a Greater-Noida based environmental activist.

Emphasising on eco-friendly activities, Tongad said: “People must put in extra efforts in making the environment pollution-free, benefitting the future generations”