Why Noida And Ghaziabad Authorities Blaming Pakistan For NCR's Polluted Air?
Air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) has sharply declined, reaching ‘very poor’ levels in Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad on Sunday
The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Noida plummeted to 304, down from 169 the previous day
Greater Noida reported an AQI of 312, while Ghaziabad recorded an even higher AQI of 324
D.K. Gupta, a regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board in Greater Noida, attributed the worsening air quality to stubble burning in Pakistan
He noted, "This is the first time this year that all three cities of Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad saw ‘very poor’ air quality on the same day
And our neighbouring country – Pakistan – needs to be blamed for this. Increasing instances of stubble burning have been sending toxic smoke across the border
Despite meteorological predictions indicating that winds were not favorable for transporting smoke from stubble-burning sites to Delhi local wind speeds fell to zero
Causing the accumulation of pollutants and a haze blanketed the capital, with visibility dropping to 1,000 meters at Palam and 1,500 meters at Safdarjung
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), air quality is projected to remain in the ‘very poor’ category from October 28 to October 30
As air quality declines, public health concerns are mounting citizens have reported increased cases of respiratory illnesses
In response to rising pollution levels, the Delhi government has imposed a ban on the use and sale of firecrackers until January 1
The government has also adopted measures such as spraying water on roads and frequent cleanings of public spaces to mitigate particulate matter in the air