AIIMS Chief Randeep Guleria warned that the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi hit its worst ever day the day after Diwali, warning that pollution will have a huge impact on respiratory health, especially for people suffering from lung diseases, asthma. . Air quality has reached its worst level in five years after Diwali. Guleria said that pollution can lead to more serious cases of Covid-19. He further said that people should wear masks, as it will help in protection from both COVID and pollution.
The morning after Diwali, residents of the capital opened their eyes under a blanket of toxic haze and breathed in the most dangerously polluted air of the year. As usual, despite the ban, there was a lot of fireworks.
The air quality in New Delhi is among the worst among all capitals of the world, but it reached even worse levels on Friday.
The AQI rose to 451 on a 500 scale, the highest ever recorded this year. According to the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board, “severe” refers to conditions that affect even healthy people and those seriously affected by existing diseases.
Firecrackers were burnt in Delhi bypassing the ban on Diwali, the air quality reached the severe category
Meanwhile, the President of Fortis Hospital said AQI levels are particularly dangerous for the elderly and people with lung-heart problems and can lead to increased cases of chest infections, viral infections and pneumonia. Dr. Ashok Seth said that patients who have recovered from Covid-19 are also weak.
The AQI measures the concentration of the toxic particulate PM2.5 in one cubic meter of air. In Delhi, with a population of about 20 million people, the PM2.5 average was 706 micrograms on Friday, while the WHO considers anything above the annual average of 5 micrograms unsafe.
Airborne PM2.5 can cause heart and respiratory diseases such as lung cancer. In India, toxic air kills more than one million people annually.
Stubble fires account for up to 35% of New Delhi’s PM2.5 levels, according to data from SAFAR’s Monitoring System, which comes under the federal Ministry of Earth Sciences.
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