Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Hardlook pollution watch: Particulately disturbing -Pritha Chatterjee

Hardlook pollution watch: Particulately disturbing -Pritha Chatterjee

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Nov 16, 2015   modified Modified on Nov 16, 2015
-The Indian Express

Here is a look at the elevated pollution levels and the health risks they subject us to.

Delhi: The good news: Pollutants, especially particulate matter — PM10 and PM2.5, dispersed fast this Diwali in Delhi, riding on favourable weather conditions. The bad news: Air quality nosedived despite the favourable conditions. Noise levels spiked too.  Here is a look at the elevated pollution levels and the health risks they subject us to.

Air quality monitoring during Diwali, tasked with multiple agencies in Delhi, often throws up starkly different analogies. This year, all agencies acknowledged that high wind speeds and cooler temperature allowed pollutants, especially particulate matter, to disperse faster this year. Air quality, however, still nosedived. Scientists said the dip, acknowledged across agencies, was despite the favourable weather conditions.

According to MoEF’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), particulate matter peaked on Diwali, hitting nearly 600 micrograms per cubic metre for PM10 and 420 for PM2.5. This is around six times the prescribed limits for PM10, and eight times for PM2.5. On Diwali in 2014 (October 23), the value for PM10 was between 184 and 481 micrograms per cubic metre. The maximum value of 481 was reported at Shadipur, three days before the festival. On Diwali in 2013 (November 3), PM10 had ranged from 796 to 1,138 micrograms per cubic metre. On Diwali 2012, it had been between 748 and 951 micrograms per cubic metre. 

According to the CPCB, the rise in PM10 values seen in recent years is due to meteorological conditions — factors such as lower night time temperature, low mixing height and low wind speed that lead to accumulation of particulates in the air. CPCB scientists say comparing this year’s Diwali scenario with previous years is “not very scientific”. 

“This year Diwali came later than usual. Had the festival been observed in the last week of October, considering the atmospheric conditions then, the situation could have been worse. Comparing two different atmospheric situations and, hence, particulate collection, does not make sense,” said Dr Dipankar Saha, head of CPCB’s air lab. 

Dr Saha said atmospheric factors in the last week approaching Diwali this year were conducive to particulate collection, but by November second week, cooler temperatures and wind directions reversed this. 

Please click here to read more. 

The Indian Express, 16 November, 2015, http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/hardlook-pollution-watch-particulately-disturbing/


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close