National
Delhi’s air quality worsens as smog returns
New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Air quality across the National Capital Region (NCR) worsened on Wednesday with the return of “smog situation” and particle pollution crossing “severe plus or emergency” mark across several locations, officials said.
According to the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), Delhi and surrounding regions will see smog – the noxious mixture of pollutant in air – for the next few days.
On Wednesday around 3 p.m., the major pollutant PM2.5 – or particle in air with diameter less than 2.5mm – was at “severe plus or emergency” level across 11 different locations in the NCR, out of 23 active stations.
The PM2.5 was ranged between 419 and 500 units — 16 to 20 times high than the international safe range.
“What we see in Delhi today is smog and not fog. Delhi will see more smog in the coming days and air quality will deteriorate further,” Shambhavi Shukla, a researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment and EPCA member, told IANS.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the mixing height is gradually reducing in the NCR and the temperature is dropping, which combined with low speed winds will increase air pollution.
Mixing height is where effluents disperse. If the height is low, pollutant get less space to disperse.
The Central Pollution Control Board said air quality of the national capital at 4 p.m. was recorded “very poor” with PM2.5 recorded at 244 units.
Meanwhile, at 4 p.m. the regions with “severe or severe plus” air quality include Anand Vihar (PM2.5 500 units) in east Delhi, Shadipur (458 units) and Punjabi Bagh (428) in west Delhi, ITO (453) and Lodhi Road (419) in central Delhi, Siri Fort (443) and R.K. Puram (395) in south Delhi, Delhi Technical University (468) in north Delhi, and Noida’s Sector 125 (319) and Ghaziabad’s Vasundhra (440) — both in Uttar Pradesh.
The safe limit for PM2.5 according to the national standards is 60 microgrammes per cubic meters, while the international standards are 25.
Advising people to avoid physical activity outdoors, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research also rated NCR’s air quality as “very-poor”, after a five-day breather.
It said the region’s air quality is supposed to drop drastically over the next three days.
–IANS
kd/him/mr
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.