The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi NCR deteriorates further with 292 on Friday. The capital becomes the fourth most polluted city. According to an Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecast, the air pollution is likely to worsen and reach ‘very poor’ levels by Sunday and cross 400 mark. The 13 most polluted areas identified in Delhi – Mundka, Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Narela, Wazirpur, Dwarka, Rohini, Punjabi Bagh, R K Puram, Bawana, Vivek Vihar, Okhla and Ashok Vihar. Mundka reported 380 AQI on Friday afternoon.
The smog tower in Connaught Place installed by Delhi government by spending one crore rupees is not working.
The political tug of war has intensified over the AQI crossing the alarming mark. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress have attacked the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the situation as they blamed the AAP of doing nothing but talking big and making tall convictions. The BJP questioned what did it do to resolve the problem in last 10 years.
The Yamuna travelling between Okhla and Kalidi in south Delhi, better known as Okhla barrage is covered with thick foam. The water is polluted and experts opine, it can be dangerous for those using the water. “The then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that he would make the Yamuna clean and take a dip in the Yamuna, what happened to his convictions,” asked a BJP worker.
The NCR cities including Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ballabgarh, Panipat, Meerut and Sonipat reported ‘poor’ air quality. Bahadurgarh, recorded the worst air quality in the country with AQI 314, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Kaithal in Haryana also reported a ‘very poor’ AQI of 306.
The Delhi state government is holding talks with experts to find a solution to the menace especially burning of ‘Parali’ or stubble burning inspite of Supreme Court’s order against burning of stubbles across Haryana and Punjab.
