The air pollution levels in India worsened in 2022. As per data released by the Central Pollution Control Board, Katihar in Bihar had the highest AQI (Air Quality Index) of 360 among 163 Indian cities on November 7.
The data shows that Delhi's AQI stood at 354, Noida's stood at 328 and Ghaziabad's stood at 304. Begusarai (Bihar), Ballabgarh, Faridabad, Kaithal and Gurugram in Haryana and Gwalior (MP) were also among the most polluted cities on Monday.
The data comes as a wake-up call for India. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) reported 3,634 farm fires in Punjab on Wednesday, the highest this year so far.
In a bid to reduce vehicular emissions, Environment Minister Gopal Rai appealed to the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana chief ministers to take measures to divert trucks carrying non-essential goods on peripheral expressways to avoid traffic jams at the capital's borders.
According to Safar, a forecasting agency under the Ministry of Earth and Sciences, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution dropped to 21 per cent on Saturday from 30 per cent on Friday due to unfavourable transport-level winds.
Transport-level winds blow in the lowest two layers of the atmosphere --troposphere and stratosphere -- and carry smoke from farm fires to the National Capital Region.
Air Quality Index or AQI measures the concentration of PM 2.5 levels -- fine particles of less than 2.5 microns that can enter the bloodstream and penetrate the lungs and heart - which are linked to chronic respiratory diseases.
Not only does the toxic air affect healthy lungs, but it is also found to cause premature deaths among those suffering from respiratory illnesses. According to Greenpeace, more than 1.2 million Indians died prematurely in 2017 due to air pollution.
This article is a part of Lung Connect India Foundation's initiative 'Lung Cancer Awareness - United In Our Goals', focusing on lung cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Delhi-NCR's pollution during October-November is largely of local origin, with stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana contributing 14 per cent to the overall PM2.5 levels in 2022, a study has suggested.
Cases of lung cancer among those who never smoked is on the rise and air pollution could be contributing to the increase, according to a new study.
The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Monday revoked curbs under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) amid a dip in pollution due to favourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order.
Farm fires in Punjab cannot be blamed as the sole contributor of Delhi's annual air pollution crisis, the Supreme Court held Monday as it directed the state government to sit with its Haryana and UP counterparts to discuss ways to manage the issue.
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