PM2.5 In Safe Limit For 179 Days This Yr, Health News, ET HealthWorld

New Delhi: An evaluation executed by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the forecasting physique below Union ministry of earth sciences, reveals this 12 months Delhi noticed 179 days when PM2.5 focus was throughout the nationwide ambient air high quality commonplace of 60 micrograms per cubic metre.

In distinction, the usual was met for simply 137 and 121 days in 2019 and 2018, respectively. The highest variety of “good-air” days (193) was recorded in 2020 because the air pollution ranges decreased drastically because of the lockdown.

Till December 30 this 12 months, the air high quality was above the usual for 51% of the times. However, PM2.5 focus spiked to 4 occasions the nationwide commonplace on practically 12 days.

Gufran Beig, founder undertaking director, SAFAR, mentioned, “The analysis reveals that the number of days when we meet the standard is rising. A higher count of such days in 2020 was mainly due to the lockdown. However, extreme pollution events in winter continue to be severe due to which the annual average of PM2.5 concentration remains almost unchanged.”

“The analysis is based on PM2.5 concentration, which remains the lead pollutant in Delhi’s air for 95% of days in a year,” added Beig.

While PM2.5 ranges of 30 or under are categorized as “good”, focus between 31 and 60 fall within the “satisfactory” class and people between 61 and 90 are categorized as “moderate”. “Poor” PM2.5 focus ranges from 91 to 120, “very poor” from 121 to 250 and “severe” from 251 and above.

Experts mentioned focus ought to be on taking motion around the 12 months to make sure that all days have been capable of meet air high quality requirements. Anumita Roychowdhury, govt director, analysis and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, mentioned, “It is a good sign that the number of days with PM2.5 concentration in good and satisfactory categories are increasing. But Delhi still requires more stringent multi-sector action to bring down the annual average level and the overall base pollution. Otherwise, every winter adverse weather conditions will continue to trap pollutants. A lot more needs to be done in the city and the NCR level to prevent severe smog conditions.”

Meanwhile, one other forecast executed by SAFAR mentioned the air high quality was more likely to be within the “very poor” class from December 31 to January 2. “Due to low temperature and fog prediction, the air quality is predicted to stay in the very poor category. It is not expected to touch the severe category in the next three days because of relatively higher speed of local winds,” mentioned Beig.