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Residents Crack the fireworks ban, post Diwali air quality worsens in Delhi-NCR

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Delhi woke up to a hazy Friday after Diwali celebrations with the air pollution in “severe” category, partly because ban on sale of crackers in National Capital Region (NCR) failed to fully prevent fireworks.

The Supreme Court had on October 9 had affirmed a ban it had imposed on the sale of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR, which consists of 23 districts in three states that border Delhi—14 in Haryana, seven in Uttar Pradesh and two in Rajasthan. The court had said the ban would be lifted at the end of this month, to see if there is any positive effect during Diwali.

The ban on sale of crackers did not prevent Delhiites from bursting them. Initially, Diwali got off to a much quieter start with much lesser noise and smoke till about 6 pm, compared to the previous years. But as the festivities picked up, the faint echo of crackers started growing louder and the pollution indexes sharply rose from 7 pm.

The air quality in Delhi and around was better, but only slightly, than last year’s. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was reported to have said that the pollution levels in Delhi were slightly lower compared to the air quality recorded during Diwali in 2016. The air quality index (AQI) value yesterday was 319 (Very Poor) while the air quality index last Diwali (October 30) had touched 431 (Severe).

AQI level from 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401 and above is severe.

An AQI reading of ‘very poor’ essentially means that people may suffer from respiratory illnesses on a prolonged exposure to such air.

‘Severe’ category air pollution means that even healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities and may feel strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses. It may seriously impact those with existing respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.

In the NCR which includes Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad, an AQI between 400-420 was recorded today morning. Crackers were, however, burst in these regions yesterday, raising question marks on the efficacy of the administration in enforcing the top court’s ban.

A few places of the National Capital Region recorded a steep hike in pollution levels with more than 24 times the average level.

Overall, the AQI was above 400 in most places in Delhi-NCR. The US embassy’s pollution monitor recorded ‘hazardous’ air quality with the index scoring an alarming 878, which the mission considers “beyond its air quality index”, which ends at 500.

The AQI value hit the dangerous 978 mark in RK Puram, Delhi. Media reports said at 11 pm in RK Puram, PM10 read 1179 while PM2.5, the finer particulate matter, was 878 microgram per cubic metre, the highest across all DPCC stations this Diwali. The pollutants had violated the corresponding 24-hour safe limits of 60 and 100 respectively by up to 10 times.

Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh and Anand Vihar area recorded the highest level of pollution with AQI at 999 on Friday morning, which is considered to be hazardous.

The minimum level of pollution, An AQI of 221, was recorded at East Delhi’s Dilshad Garden.

The highest level of AQI, 999 – beyond which no readings are available – was recorded in the capital’s Punjabi Bagh and Anand Vihar areas.

The SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), a government agency under the Earth Science ministry, estimated the 24-hour rolling average of PM2.5 and PM10 at 154 and 256 micrograms per cubic metre at around 11 pm, PTI reported.

Measures under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) for the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories, which include a ban on diesel generator sets, came into effect on October 17 and they will remain in force till March 15.

Going by SAFAR’s forecast, the post-Diwali air will not be as poor as last year, when it was the worst in three decades. It said a host of favourable conditions were helping prevent the entry of smoke-filled air from the agricultural belt of Haryana and Punjab, where farmers burn crop stubble.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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3 dead, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Maharashtra

According to police, the explosion released toxic chemical fumes.

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Three individuals, including two women, lost their lives and nine others were hospitalised following a gas leak caused by an explosion in a reactor at a fertiliser plant in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, an official said on Friday.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday at the Myanmar Chemical Company, located in Shalgaon MIDC within Kadegaon tehsil.

Sangli Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge stated that the gas is suspected to be ammonia.

According to police, the explosion released toxic chemical fumes. “Approximately 12 people in the facility were affected and subsequently taken to the hospital. Tragically, two female workers and a security guard have died, while nine others are currently receiving treatment,” stated Sangram Shewale, Senior Inspector at Kadegaon police station.

Seven of the injured individuals have been admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Karad, with five of them in critical condition in the ICU.

The deceased women have been identified as Suchita Uthale (50) from Yetgaon in Sangli district and Neelam Rethrekar (26) from Masur in Satara district, PTI reported.

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Ahead of Delhi Elections, Arvind Kejriwal launches Revdi Par Charcha campaign to seek feedback on freebies

Arvind Kejriwal said 65,000 meetings will be held across Delhi at micro levels by the AAP leaders and workers.

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Ahead of Delhi Elections, Arvind Kejriwal launches Revdi Par Charcha campaign to seek feedback on freebies

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday launched a campaign with a tagline Revdi Par Charcha to seek public feedback on freebies. The campaign comes ahead of the assembly elections, which is scheduled to be held in February.

Former Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal launched the campaign with his colleagues at the party office, saying while the opposition calls freebies as revdi, the party calls it services. This campaign will start on November 25 and will continue for 15 days until December 10, discussing the issues with common man.

Notably, the opposition has been targeting the AAP for providing free electricity, water and free public buses for women among other facilities. However, AAP feels freebies help citizens live a life of dignity.

Gopal Rai, AAP’s Delhi unit chief, said that so far, politicians used to enjoy the facilities, while citizens paid taxes. He continued that Arvind Kejriwal’s government decided that the people should also get the facilities like the politicians, adding the BJP called their attempt revdis. He said that AAP is launching the ‘Revdi Par Charcha’ campaign to discuss with the people in the city if the government should provide the facilities or not.

Launching the campaign, Arvind Kejriwal said 65,000 meetings will be held across Delhi at micro levels by the AAP leaders and workers. He said that AAP has six revdis for the people of Delhi. Mentioning that the Prime Minister and BJP have said several times that Kejriwal is providing freebies to the people that should be stopped, the former Chief Minister said that now people will now tell them if they want these six freebies.  He further concluded that if the BJP is elected here, they will stop these services immediately.

While listing the six services, the AAP national convenor said that Delhi is getting free electricity round the clock. He added that there was a time when Delhi used to see power cuts for 8-10 hours, but AAP ensured that the situation changed. He also noted that his party is providing free water, free pilgrimage to senior citizens, free bus rides to women, free world-class education and free medicine and treatments. Additionally, the pamphlet launched by Arvind Kejriwal also listed that soon the women in Delhi will get Rs 1,000 per month as well, later termed as the seventh revdi by the former Chief Minister.

Reports said that the paper will be circulated across the national capital. The paper also reads that if the reader feels they are getting huge water bills, they should not pay it. It mentioned that AAP will waive all water bills once Arvind Kejriwal is re-elected.

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Rahul Gandhi says air pollution in North India a national emergency, tourism declining, global reputation crumbling

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the air pollution in North India is a national emergency that needs a collective national response and not a political blame game. The Congress leader added that due to air pollution tourism is declining and “our global reputation is crumbling”.

It is a public health crisis that is stealing children’s future and suffocating the elderly, Gandhi said, adding an environmental and economic disaster that is ruining countless lives.

“As Parliament meets in a few days, MPs will all be reminded of the crisis by our irritated eyes and sore throats. It is our responsibility to come together and discuss how India can end this crisis once and for all,” the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

The former Congress chief said the poorest “among us suffer the most”, unable to escape the toxic air surrounding them. Families are gasping for clean air, children are falling sick, and millions of lives are being cut short, he added.

The Rae Bareli MP noted that the pollution cloud covers hundreds of kilometres. He said cleaning it up will require major changes and decisive action from governments, companies, experts, and citizens.

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

Gandhi also shared a video on a social media platform where he discussed the capital’s air pollution with environmentalist expert Vimalendu Jha. In the video, the Congress leader said he has been facing eye-burning and breathing issues and how the last week in Delhi has been terrible.

He said, “I tell my mother to leave town this month.” Jha explains to Gandhi that the sources of air pollution in Delhi are episodic and perennial. Episodic sources are firecrackers and stubble burning, which affect the month of November. “Vehicular contributes 50 per cent of Delhi’s pollution and construction-related roadside dust is another 30 per cent,” Jha said.

The Air Quality Index in Delhi has been severe since November 16, making it five consecutive days till Wednesday. On November 15, the average AQI was 396 (very poor).

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