Delhi Paints Dire Picture With Worrying Spike in Levels of NO2 in Air

Delhi pollution- a cause of concern

Tuesday, 13th July 2021

A recent report by Greenpeace India shows a dismal picture of the country where several states across the country are faced with severe air pollution despite the continued and prolonged imposition of lockdown measures on account of Covid-19, which had made considerable cut downs on motor movement and industrial activity. Delhi is among the top cities that are struggling to find a solution for its declining air quality.

With a huge spike in the concentration of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) of 125 percent in the atmosphere, Delhi happens to have the worst breathable air quality among eight other state capitals reporting poor air quality, when compared to the condition around the same time last year.

According to the report, titled “behind the smokescreen”, after the initial lockdowns induced by Covid-19 spikes in the country, there was seen a reduction in air pollution in several Indian cities. However, now it is seen that eight of the capital cities in the country with a population of over 2 million are having increased NO2 pollution in their air.

This rise in pollution is accredited to increased industrial activity and vehicles plying on the roads. The situation is leading environmentalists to call for the use of more and more cleaner sources of energy.

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The report that got filed on Wednesday indicated that the Air Quality Index in Delhi continued to loll in the poor segment with PM 2.5 concentration at 240 and nitrogen dioxide levels at around 140.

Meanwhile, although Delhi has reported the worst increase in air pollution levels, there are several other places in the country that are not far behind. A spike in NO2 reaching concerning levels has been reported in 2021 in cities like Chennai, the worst affected after Delhi with a 94 percent spike in pollution levels followed by Bengaluru where it jumped by 90 percent.

Avinash Chanchal, Senior Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace India said, “The air quality levels in these cities are alarming. People saw clean skies and breathed fresh air during the nationwide lockdown though it was an unintended consequence of the pandemic. The disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is a case to transition to cleaner, equitable and sustainable decentralized energy sources.”

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

Businessinsider