Delhi's Battle With Severe Air Quality Crisis Continues; Mumbai Takes Proactive Steps To Combat Pollution

The air quality in Delhi has plunged to 'severe' levels, prompting urgent measures to address the escalating pollution crisis. As of Thursday morning, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an alarming overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 420, maintaining the 'severe category' status from the previous day's reading of 426.

The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India painted a bleak picture, revealing hazardous air quality clusters across the Indo-Gangetic plains, marked by red dots on the AQI map. Specific areas in Delhi, including Anand Vihar, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, and ITO, reported distressing AQI levels ranging from 432 to 453. Neighboring cities like Ghaziabad and Sector-51, Gurugram, are also grappling with deteriorating air quality, recording AQI levels of 443 and 444, respectively.

The concentration of PM2.5, a fine particulate matter notorious for its adverse health effects, has exceeded the safe limit by seven to eight times, posing significant risks to public health.

In response to the crisis, the Directorate of Education has taken a proactive step by advancing the winter break for all schools in Delhi. Schools will now remain closed from November 9 to November 18, providing both students and teachers a respite and minimizing exposure to the hazardous air, as reported by the Indian Express.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai has called for an urgent meeting on Thursday to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court's directive regarding the odd-even scheme. Originally scheduled to be enforced from November 13 to combat vehicular pollution, the scheme's fate is now uncertain pending a review of its effectiveness by the apex court.

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, questioned the efficacy of the Delhi government's odd-even scheme, dubbing it mere optics. The court directed the Delhi government to take more effective steps to combat pollution while simultaneously instructing Punjab to halt stubble burning immediately.

In a contrasting scenario, Mumbai has taken significant strides to combat air pollution. The city's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 131 on Thursday morning, falling within the 'moderate' category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marks a notable improvement compared to recent days.

Pollution hotspots like Bandra Kurla Complex, Kherwadi, and Malad displayed relatively better AQI levels, attributed to recent measures taken by the authorities. A thunderstorm in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening, accompanied by 13mm of rainfall until 5:30 pm, contributed to a decrease in AQI, maintaining 'moderate' air quality, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Despite these improvements, pollution levels remain a challenge for Mumbai authorities. Several hospitals in the city have reported an increase in patients with respiratory problems in the last few days. Global Hospitals in Central Mumbai's Parel has taken proactive measures by setting up a dedicated Intensive Respiratory Care Unit to address the rise in patients reporting breathlessness and throat or lung infections.

In further efforts, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished nine chimneys associated with gold and silver smelting businesses in the Kalbadevi and Zaveri Bazar areas, following the closure of 13 unauthorized furnaces in Sakinaka and Andheri East, as reported by Moneycontrol. These measures showcase Mumbai's commitment to tackling air pollution head-on and safeguarding public health.