Mumbai: Firecrackers Only For 3 Hours
Indian cities, like Mumbai and Delhi, are experiencing severe air pollution due to various reasons, leading to government measures to combat the problem.
The beginning of winters has brought along with-it high air pollution in India. Most of the states and major cities have high AQIs with the air quality being categorized as ‘poor.’ But the latest AQI data has categorized the air quality of Mumbai as ‘very poor’ & Delhi’s as ‘severe.’ Mumbai has been covered in smog since the last week of October and this has affected the visibility. The reason behind Mumbai’s poor AQI is the excessive construction activity. Multiple construction projects like metro, coastal road construction and building of the Trans Harbour Link bridge are taking place simultaneously along with the regular residential & commercial property constructions. As a result, the air quality inMumbai has become poor. Therefore, from 30th October 2023, BMC has started issuing stop-work notices to builders who are not following the anti-air pollution guidelines like water sprinklers, anti-smog guns, metal sheet covers & wet cloth/jute/tarpaulin covers is being fined and being asked to stop the construction for 15-30 days. With the condition not improving, Bombay High Court issued an order on 6th November 2023 to stop the transport of debris to & from the construction sites till the 10th of November 2023. It has also restricted the bursting of crackers in Mumbai by allowing the fireworks only on the Diwali day for 3 hours from 7pm to 10pm. But for Delhi, the problem is worse. On 2nd November 2023, Delhi recorded an AQI of 402 categorizing its air as ‘severe’ and on 6th November 2023, it was 471 which is ‘critical.’ This is equivalent to smoking 30 cigarettes in a day! Previous years' data shows that November 1st to November 15th are the most polluted two weeks of the year for Delhi. Delhi’s high air pollution is because of high industrial emissions, construction dust and mainly due to the crop residue burning by its neighboring states like Haryana, Rajasthan, UP & MP. Seeing the high AQI, the central government has taken multiple actions with immediate effect. The central government has stopped all non-essential constructions. It has also restricted the entry of diesel-consuming vehicles into the city. Delhi’s CM Arvind Kejriwal has ordered the shutdown of both government & private schools and asked schools to conduct classes virtually until Diwali. He also reimposed the car rationing - odd-even car rule in the country’s capital till 20th November 2023. According to India’s AQI official website, the air quality is estimated to get poorer during the winter of 2023. Therefore, take care of your health as winter is soon about to begin. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water & try using air purifiers at home if necessary. In case of prolonged coughing, shortness of breath or irritation in the eyes, nose, or throat, consult your doctor immediately. You can check your locality & city’s AQI on AQI India’s official app & website. While the issue of air pollution in India is serious it can still be overcome with awareness & prevention as it is rightly said that prevention is better than cure.
