Smoke genie of old Calcutta
Charcoal, dung, wood etc., used as fuels before the mid-19th century were responsible for the problem of smoke, or miasma.
After being in the dangerous state for long, the air quality in Delhi went to poor for few days but on Thursday it slipped into the higher end of the ‘very poor’ category and may deteriorate further due to the extremely low wind speed.
According to SAFAR, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 340 on Thursday.
“The overall Delhi AQI is in the higher end of very poor category as further deterioration is predicted and may touch severe in some parts of Delhi by November 22,” SAFAR said.
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It further said that the main factors behind the deteriorating condition are the extremely low wind speed and strong near-surface inversion during the night time.
“Hence the ventilation is minimum and leading to accumulation of pollutants near the surface. The conditions are likely to improve by November 23 afternoon since a strengthening of surface winds are forecast owing to the passing of Western disturbance,” it said.
It also said that though the fire counts are relatively high at 1,011 (as per SAFAR multi-satellite product) as compared to last week, the stubble level winds are easterly and not favorable for plume intrusion.
SAFAR advised sensitive people to avoid all physical activity outdoors. “Also, if asthematics, keep relief medicine handy,” it said.
For the general public, it advised stopping the outdoor activity in the early morning and after sunset.
“Avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Go for a short walk instead of a jog and take more breaks. Stop any activity if you experience any unusual coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or fatigue,” it added.
(With inputs from IANS)
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