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Ishita Roy

Delhi AQI Stays ‘Very Poor’ As CM Rekha Gupta Holds Review Meet For Pollution

Delhi's air quality remained in "very poor" category, and the AQI stood at 342 at 8am, as per the Central Pollution Control Board. The 24-hour average AQI was logged at 412 under the "severe" category on Tuesday evening when Delhi's quality peaked to record the fourth severe air day in the month of December. With the air quality levels remaining continuously in the "very poor" category, Delhi's Chief Minister <span>Rekha Gupta</span> held a pollution review meet. 

<h2>What Was Discussed In The Pollution Review Meet By Rekha Gupta?</h2>

A review meeting was held to discuss the rising air pollution levels in Delhi on Monday at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting was attended by the officials from various departments, which also included the Public Works Department (PWD), Transport, <span>Delhi Pollution</span> Control Committee (DPCC), Environment, and others. 

Post meeting, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the CM sought responses from multiple departments to discuss various aspects of pollution in the national capital. Sirsa also confirmed that a follow-up meeting will be scheduled on Thursday to continue the discussions on various steps that should be taken to bring down the levels of Delhi's AQI. 

<h2>Rely On Public Transport - As A Solution To Delhi Pollution</h2>

On Sunday, a day before the meeting was held, Delhi's CM spoke on relying on public transport as a solution to Delhi's pollution. She said that the government aims to make the metro network "so comprehensive that people do not need to rely on private vehicles even for last-mile connectivity”.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/delhi-is-a-gas-chamber-where-nothing-comes-in-or-goes-out-says-expert-neighboring-states-not-to-blame-for-aqi-article-153304680" data-type="tilCustomLink">Delhi Is a Gas Chamber Where Nothing Comes In or Goes Out, Says Expert; Neighboring States Not to Blame for AQI</a>

<h2>Delhi's Pollution Is Now A Public Health Risk</h2>

An analysis by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 found that air pollution is city's single largest health risk. The deaths rose from 15,786 in 2018 to 17,188 in 2023.

Another study published in Scientific Reports, a five-year study titled Respiratory Deposition of Particulate Matter in Delhi: A Five-Year Assessment of Exposure Patterns and Health Risks tracked how particulate matter settles inside the respiratory system and found that men's exposure can be up to 1.4 times higher, especially while walking or commuting. The study noted that men on average spend more time outdoors while working, commuting, or walking in traffic-heavy areas. This leads to an increase in exposure.

A different study published in Frontiers in Public Health, explored the data of 2,96,078 women and girls between the age of 16 to 55 years in Taiwan and correlated it with the long-term air pollution data between 2000 and 2013. None of these women had any history of dysmenorrhea before the survey had began.

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/is-delhis-toxic-air-making-your-period-cramps-more-painful-heres-what-study-says-article-153316825" data-type="tilCustomLink">Is Delhi's Toxic Air Making Your Period Cramps More Painful? Here's What Study Says</a>

Furthermore, a study published in<a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/is-delhis-toxic-air-making-you-sad-and-grumpy-heres-what-the-study-says-article-153331310" data-type="tilCustomLink"> Nature Communication</a> notes that after four hours of exposure to particulate matter, it was found that people's ability to perform routine tasks and interpret emotions were highly impacted. 

If Delhi is able to cut its local pollution by 50 per cent, the pollution too could drop by 50 per cent. The emission should happen across the airshed. However, the focus should be for a long-term action on the source of emission and not short-term optics like cloud seeding, smog towers, water sprinkling or air purifiers.

In fact, as per a study published in Sustainability (MDPI), an open access journal, which mapped Delhi's air quality between 1990 to 2022 and found that transports emit around 10 to 30% of pollution, whereas agricultural residue burning, which is a seasonal source of pollution leads to less than 3% of pollution, whereas firecrackers, another seasonal source, leads to less than 1% of pollution.

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Delhi's air quality remained in "very poor" category, and the AQI stood at 342 at 8am, as per the Central Pollution Control Board. The 24-hour average AQI was logged at 412 under the "severe" category on Tuesday evening when Delhi's quality peaked to record the fourth severe air day in the month of December. With the air quality levels remaining continuously in the "very poor" category, Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held a pollution review meet. What Was Discussed In The Pollution Review Meet By Rekha Gupta?A review meeting was held to discuss the rising air pollution levels in Delhi on Monday at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting was attended by the officials from various departments, which also included the Public Works Department (PWD), Transport, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Environment, and others. Post meeting, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the CM sought responses from multiple departments to discuss various aspects of pollution in the national capital. Sirsa also confirmed that a follow-up meeting will be scheduled on Thursday to continue the discussions on various steps that should be taken to bring down the levels of Delhi's AQI. Rely On Public Transport - As A Solution To Delhi PollutionOn Sunday, a day before the meeting was held, Delhi's CM spoke on relying on public transport as a solution to Delhi's pollution. She said that the government aims to make the metro network "so comprehensive that people do not need to rely on private vehicles even for last-mile connectivity”.Also Read: Delhi Is a Gas Chamber Where Nothing Comes In or Goes Out, Says Expert; Neighboring States Not to Blame for AQIDelhi's Pollution Is Now A Public Health RiskAn analysis by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 found that air pollution is city's single largest health risk. The deaths rose from 15,786 in 2018 to 17,188 in 2023.Another study published in Scientific Reports, a five-year study titled Respiratory Deposition of Particulate Matter in Delhi: A Five-Year Assessment of Exposure Patterns and Health Risks tracked how particulate matter settles inside the respiratory system and found that men's exposure can be up to 1.4 times higher, especially while walking or commuting. The study noted that men on average spend more time outdoors while working, commuting, or walking in traffic-heavy areas. This leads to an increase in exposure.A different study published in Frontiers in Public Health, explored the data of 2,96,078 women and girls between the age of 16 to 55 years in Taiwan and correlated it with the long-term air pollution data between 2000 and 2013. None of these women had any history of dysmenorrhea before the survey had began.Read: Is Delhi's Toxic Air Making Your Period Cramps More Painful? Here's What Study SaysFurthermore, a study published in Nature Communication notes that after four hours of exposure to particulate matter, it was found that people's ability to perform routine tasks and interpret emotions were highly impacted. If Delhi is able to cut its local pollution by 50 per cent, the pollution too could drop by 50 per cent. The emission should happen across the airshed. However, the focus should be for a long-term action on the source of emission and not short-term optics like cloud seeding, smog towers, water sprinkling or air purifiers.In fact, as per a study published in Sustainability (MDPI), an open access journal, which mapped Delhi's air quality between 1990 to 2022 and found that transports emit around 10 to 30% of pollution, whereas agricultural residue burning, which is a seasonal source of pollution leads to less than 3% of pollution, whereas firecrackers, another seasonal source, leads to less than 1% of pollution.