After Diwali, the holy festival of lights and enthusiasm, while on one hand there was an atmosphere of celebration across the country, on the other hand a very scary picture has emerged on the environment and health front. It is generally believed that the capital Delhi and NCR region remains at the forefront in terms of pollution, but this time the figures have shocked everyone. Apart from Delhi, due to fireworks, stubble burning incidents and adverse weather in many other cities of the country, the air became so poisonous that the Air Quality Index (AQI) broke all records. In some selected areas and cities, the AQI level has even crossed the 1000 mark, making it difficult for people to even breathe. Health experts have described this situation as very serious and have advised people to stay at home and take special precautions.
Poison dissolved in the air, why the pollution graph is reaching dangerous levels
Due to heavy fireworks and cold winds on the night of Diwali, the pollutants remained close to the ground, due to which a thick and poisonous layer surrounded the entire sky. The quantity of PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles was recorded several times more than the prescribed standards. Meteorologists say that with the onset of winter, the wind speed decreases, due to which the smoke of factories, emissions from vehicles and smoke of stubble together completely pollute the environment. Due to this suffocating environment, children, elderly and asthma patients are facing irritation in eyes, sore throat and severe difficulty in breathing. There has also been a sudden surge in the number of patients in the OPDs of hospitals who are suffering from diseases caused by air pollution.
Top 10 most polluted cities of the country and their air quality status
According to the data released by the Pollution Control Board and the Meteorological Department, many cities of the country have turned into gas chambers this festive season. Let us have a look at the list of top 10 polluted cities of the country where the air has been recorded as the most poisonous:
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National Capital Region (certain parts of NCR/Ghaziabad-Noida belt): Where in some areas the pollution level and personal monitoring figures were recorded close to or beyond 1000.
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Delhi: Where the overall average AQI remained very close to the severe category of 450 to 480.
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Faridabad and Gurugram of Haryana: Due to pressure from industrial units and vehicles, the air here remained in very poor category.
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Patna and Muzaffarpur of Bihar: Air quality in these major cities of the state was seriously affected due to dust and local factors.
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Meerut and Bulandshahr of Uttar Pradesh: The situation remained worrying in these districts of western Uttar Pradesh due to stubble remains and fireworks.
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Bhiwadi and Bikaner of Rajasthan: Being an industrial belt, the pollution graph here always remains at a high level.
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Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh: Due to the geographical location and the effect of cold, pollution particles remained stuck in the air here.
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Amritsar and Ludhiana of Punjab: Post-harvest residue and festive smoke made the air heavy.
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Dhanbad of Jharkhand: The air quality continues to remain poor due to the effects of coal mines and industrial activities.
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Kolkata of West Bengal: The air quality index here also reached very poor category after fireworks on the night of Kali Puja and Diwali.
Administrative steps and important health advisories for citizens
In view of this dire form of increasing pollution, the Central and State Governments have implemented strict rules of GRAP. Steps like ban on construction work, strictness on operation of old vehicles and sprinkling of water on roads are being taken so that the increasing pollution can be curbed. The administration is continuously appealing that citizens should not leave their homes unnecessarily and should take special precautions during morning walk or exercise. If the situation continues like this, then more stringent restrictions may be seen in the coming days, so that the general public can be protected from the ill effects of this poisonous air.