National
Delhi’s air quality back to ‘severe plus’, may worsen further
New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) The air quality in Delhi-NCR was back to “severe-plus” or “emergency” category towards Monday evening and the monitoring agencies forecast a further rise in toxicity over the next few hours.
The levels of PM2.5 and PM10 continued to rise even as both central and Delhi governments claimed partial relief during the afternoon.
The average Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi on Monday at 4 p.m was 463, with PM2.5 recorded at 460 units.
For the entire Delhi-NCR, the average was 455 units, with PM2.5 at 452 units.
The international permissible limit for PM2.5 — particles in air with diameter less than 2.5mm — is 25 units (micro gram per cubic metre), while for India it is 60 units.
Ghaziabad was the most polluted city in the entire NCR, with PM2.5 at an astounding 848 units at 4 p.m — 33 times the safe limit.
The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) initiative of the government said Delhi’s air “may see increase in pollution levels” due to meteorological factors and that a clearer picture would emerge after Tuesday.
The Met office has forecast rains for November 15.
The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) said Delhi’s air had “reversed” to “severe-plus” or “emergency” category after some signs of improvement on Friday and Saturday.
“On Friday (November 10) and Saturday morning, air quality had improved as there was some wind that allowed dispersion of pollutants. But by Saturday afternoon, this situation reversed. Pollution continued to rise and concentration levels have remained in the severe-plus over Sunday,” it said.
However, an EPCA official claimed that the dispersal of pollutants had begun with the wind speed picking up again.
The “emergency” or “severe-plus” situation requires PM2.5 to remain above 300 units or PM10 above 500 units for 48 hours.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s air quality was above the required limits for over 50 hours by 3.00 p.m on Monday.
The “emergency” situation was last witnessed from Thursday till Saturday morning. However, the pollutant levels fell below the red line for an hour on Saturday noon.
According to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the EPCA, the measures to be enforced in “severe-plus” or “emergency” category include odd-even vehicular restriction scheme.
“Western disturbance is looming large over Delhi and its withdrawal is expected on November 16-17. This is likely to be accompanied by addition of moisture to Delhi’s air and fall in the temperature which may result in an increase in pollution levels,” said a forecast report prepared by Gufran Beig, Project Director of SAFAR.
But the report said that the rise could be marginal and nowhere near that caused by stubble burning and “Gulf dust storm”, which is also a contributor to pollution in some parts of the country.
Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday that there was some improvement in Delhi’s air quality in the morning.
“According to reports, there are fluctuations (in pollution levels). But in the past six hours, pollution levels are a little lower than before,” Rai said in the afternoon.
He also claimed that the air pollution in Punjab and Haryana was worse than Delhi.
Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said: “There is a declining trend in the levels of particulate matters at present, indicating improvement in air quality on account of efforts made by various agencies.”
He also called for round-the-year efforts to tackle pollution.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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