Severe cold wave hits Delhi with thickest fog in at least two months, ‘very poor’ air quality.
Severe cold wave conditions today touched a low of 8 degrees Celsius in the metropolis with temperatures plummeting amid an enveloping of thick fog. In that scenario, normal life went severely disturbed here. As has been stated for long, in wake of the cold waves, air quality has further become “very poor”. This is creating long-term health problems.
Cold Wave and Dense Fog
Dense fog blanketed Delhi on Wednesday morning, greatly reducing visibility and traveling became difficult during the morning hours. IMD forecasts a minimum of 8°C for the day, though the maximum would be around 16°C, but the chill is so much that “very dense fog” conditions are going to prevail all through the day.
While it has brought relief to many residents who were earlier battling high temperatures, the cold wave has been yet another challenge to vulnerable populations. Homeless people in Delhi had been seeking shelter in the night shelters of the city due to the biting cold. Night shelters all over the city, from Sarai Kale Khan to Ram Leela Maidan and Nigam Bodh Ghat, are crammed to capacity. The extreme conditions are so unbearable that people want to run away from the city.
DUSIB has opened 235 pagoda tents spread all over the city. Night shelters have also been opened at AIIMS, at Lodhi Road, and near the Nizamuddin flyover.
Air Pollution Problems Still Exist
The cold wave still prevails over Delhi. Therefore, the air quality in the national capital remained a serious issue. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was at 326 on Wednesday morning, falling in the “very poor” category. Such an AQI level is harmful to health and would pose more danger to the sick, children, and elderly people. Delhi has been fighting with AQI well beyond acceptable limits in the last few days, which have remained very poor.
The Central Pollution Control Board had stated, that for the last couple of days consecutively, the AQI has stayed at “very poor” levels deteriorating already harsh conditions due to cold wave. For the third consecutive day in a row, wind speeds in the mornings were low-they were less than 8 kmph-said the IMD, that will grow a little for the afternoon, picking up to around 10-12 kmph.
It will be expected to improve a bit, but smog and shallow fog conditions will persist into the evening and night. Thus, it will continue affecting air quality and visibility. Poor air quality will affect daily activities and health risks will continue to increase with pollution at high levels.
Recent Policy Changes and Restrictions
The CAQM has already imposed Stage-III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan, GRAP, in order to ease the degrading air quality. However, on January 5, the commission withdrew the Stage-III restrictions as it still sees slight improvement in AQI. The Stage-I and Stage-II measures remain in place in order to further reduce the levels of pollution.
In light of these measures, the authorities are trying to decrease emissions from every source like construction, vehicular emission, and industrial emissions. Air quality has continued in the “very poor” category as the wind movement is quite weak and pollutants are not dispersed easily with this cold wave.
Health and daily life impact:
So far, the consensus remains that the severe combination of cold, foggy conditions with dirty air is increasingly impairing Delhiites’ health and their daily life. “Very poor” air quality could lead to an exacerbation of respiratory symptoms, including asthma and chronic bronchitis, as well as increased rates of cardiovascular disorders; for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, the health risks associated with these hazardous conditions are compounded.
The movement of people has been hindered due to low visibility because of thick fog covering most parts of northern India and the transportation difficulties, thus hampering travel and resulting in accidents on highways. Delhi roads, burdened with loads of traffic jams, are further derailed.
Work in Progress to Tackle the Crisis:
To overcome these persistent challenges, the government has not avoided short-term steps that can enhance the quality of air and meanwhile tries to reduce the effects of the cold wave. The authorities have already appealed to the people to cut down on outdoor activities, mainly during the early morning and late evening hours when fog and smog are thick.
Public health campaigns have been undertaken to educate the public on how to protect themselves from the harmful effects of air pollution. As a result, campaigns have taken place where people are advised to use masks, limit exposure to outdoor air, and maintain good ventilation indoors.
The government has also stepped up efforts in the implementation of cleaner technologies and sustainable practices to reduce pollution in the long term. However, immediate relief does not seem to be around the corner as weather conditions continue to favor sustenance of poor air quality and low temperatures.
Conclusion
As Delhi is already facing the problem of a worse cold wave situation and poor-quality air, so the residents of the city are fighting hard on these tough faces, and as well as this, the respective authorities are having a hard struggle. It now makes it a duty that the village should provide all vagrants or homeless person living in towns with a housing facility and engage in communication by giving threat messages related to the degradation in air quality. With the projected temperatures and air pollution levels set to remain this way, it is clear that continued efforts are on the cards for mitigating the effects that can impact public health and daily life.
Source: ANI, IMD, CPCB