Delhi's air quality deteriorates to 'very poor'; locals complain of eye irritation, breathing issues
23-October-2020

Air quality in the national capital deteriorated on Friday with the rise in the level of pollutants. According to the data shared by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Air Quality Index is at 387 in Anand Vihar, 333 in RK Puram, 391 in Rohini and 390 in Dwarka. All the four fall in the 'very poor' category, the data suggested. On Thursday, the Noida Authority said it has slapped penalties worth Rs 4.08 lakh on private contractors and other entities here that were found violating guidelines and rules to combat air pollution.

Private contractors Chennai MSW and Waste Management Corporation, both engaged with waste collection, were slapped penalties worth Rs 1 lakh each for a rule violation, while two bulk waste generating entities have levied a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh for not installing waste processing units on their compounds, the Authority said.

The continued action against polluters has come in the wake of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) coming into force amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR, even as the air quality in Noida remained in the "very poor" category on Thursday.

"Varying amount of penalties were imposed on other offenders, including those keeping construction material in open. Altogether, penalties worth Rs 4.08 lakh were imposed on Thursday over violation of guidelines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the GRAP," it said in a statement.

Road stretches measuring 110 kilometres were sprinkled with water, while another 243 kilometres on 67 routes were cleaned mechanically, it said.

Footpaths and streets measuring 55 kilometres were cleaned during the night using water treated by sewage treatment plants, it stated.

Meanwhile, as Delhi reels under another tryst with air pollution, several public health experts have flagged a spike in the number of patients reporting irritation in eyes because of toxic pollutants.

The noxious air causes dry eye disease, which if left untreated, could lead to vision problems, they warn.

The air pollution reaches a peak in Delhi and its surrounding regions every winter, when pollution from stubble burning and local sources combines with the suspended water droplets in the lower atmosphere to form a thick blanket of noxious smog, thus creating health hazards.