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Delhi-NCR air quality drops, may worsen as stubble burning increases

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New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) With stubble burning increasing in neighbouring states and wind speed dropping, air quality in Delhi and NCR worsened further on Wednesday with all active monitoring stations of SAFAR now recording “very poor” air quality.

According to the experts from Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), the air quality may deteriorate further as fog formation is likely due to drop in temperature and lowering of wind speed towards November 23 and 24.

“Met has predicted that temperature and the wind speed will drop due to which their will be fog in the region. This may increase the air pollution, however the air quality will not reach the severe plus or emergency levels,” Usman Naseem, researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment and member of the EPCA, told IANS.

On Wednesday, 25 active monitoring stations of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded “severe plus” or “emergency” Air Quality Index (AQI) at Delhi Technical University (DTU) in north Delhi, Anand Vihar in east Delhi and Ghaziabad.

Punjabi Bagh in west Delhi recorded “severe” air quality while all remaining 21 stations recorded “very poor” AQI at 7 p.m. The monitoring agencies however abstained from proving the hourly index values of AQI, rather proving only concentration of the major pollutant PM2.5 and PM10, or particles with diameter less than 2.5 and 10 micrometers.

At 7 p.m., the PM2.5 value at Ghaziabad was recorded at 322, at Anand Vihar, it was 341 and at DTU, it was 310 — 12 to 13 times higher than the safe limits as per international standards.

Weather analysts said that due to the low-speed northerly and northwesterly winds entering the national capital from Punjab and Haryana, the national capital and the surrounding regions are likely to inhale toxins for a few more days more.

“External emissions do have the impact on the air quality though it’s difficult to access the percentage,” A. Sudhakar, Member Secretary of the CPCB, told IANS.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the air quality of Delhi-NCR is likely to worsen over the next three days, with share of average PM2.5 set to increase from 154 on Wednesday to 163 on Thursday and 183 after three days. The average PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR according to SAFAR was recorded at 146 on Tuesday.

As per SAFAR, all its nine active monitoring station including Dhirpur, Pitampura, Delhi University in north Delhi, Pusa and Lodhi Road in central Delhi, Mathura Road, Ayanagar in south Delhi, Noida and Gurugram had PM2.5 readings ranging between 307 to 344.

Meanwhile, satellite images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday showed further stepping up of stubble burning in parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and almost all districts of Punjab.

This came even as the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday ordered the Delhi government and the neighbouring states to come out with a “definitive workable solution” against it. The green court also ordered the Union Agriculture Ministry to hold a meeting with the states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajashtan on the issue on November 28.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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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