The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said on Sunday that pollution levels were higher in Delhi this Diwali compared to last year and this could be attributed to a high proportion of stubble burning and unfavorable weather during the season. of festivals.
In a special report, the CPCB said that almost all pollutants reported higher values on Diwali this year compared to 2019.
“Diwali was in mid-November this year, which has unfavorable weather conditions for the dispersal of pollutants compared to 2019, when it was the last week of October,” he said, according to the PTI news agency.
The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration was 32% on Diwali this year, compared to 19% last year. Therefore, it can be inferred that the high concentrations of PM2.5 in 2020 compared to the previous year had a greater contribution from the burning of stubble and the same is also reflected in high levels of CO and NO2 ”, he added.
Air quality dropped to severe at various locations in the national capital Saturday night due to a combination of stubble burning and firecracker popping during Diwali celebrations in violation of a Diwali ban.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) for the PM 2.5 pollutant stood at 481 in Anand Vihar, 444 in the IGI airport area, 457 in ITO and 414 in the Lodhi Road area, all four in the ‘severe’ category. , at 11 pm on Saturday. according to data from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
A thick layer of smog was seen in various places in the national capital as the Diwali celebrations came to a close on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the air quality was 460 in Anand Vihar, 382 in the IGI airport area, 415 in ITO and 322 in Lodhi Road for the pollutant PM 10.
(With contributions from the agency)
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