- One of the most common concerns afflicting any urban dwellings across the globe is the unabated scaling up of modernity-induced developments, including the mobility requirements of the global community willing to explore further. The consequence of these unregulated growth factors is the environmental degradation being witnessed in varied forms. And the most consequential aspect of the same is the erratic weather patterns leading to debilitating aftereffects on the way we carry on with our daily lives. Whereas the other critical economic verticals like manufacturing, industries, and agriculture have been constant contributors to the environmental degradation, air pollutants, yet another consequence has continued to pose several challenges to humanity.
PC: Financial Times
- We are aware of the dubious distinction of some of the Indian metro cities being classified among the most polluted ones in the world, including the capital city of New Delhi. Of course, successive governments have initiated several measures to address the matter, but with little success to show for the efforts. Amid this comes the news that Haryana, bordering New Delhi, doesn’t have a single working Air Quality Index (AQI) reader, revealing a telling story on governments across India. Mind you, it’s terrible enough that Indian cities are air pollution hotspots. Even more frightening is that the severity of pollution is underestimated. Last week, Haryana’s last functional AQI reading station went kaput. So much for our diligence to address this monumental challenge staring us.
PC: News9live
- Disconcertingly, since April, all 29 AQI monitoring stations in the state have been offline due to lapsed contracts, unlikely to be functional any time soon. Two IMD stations are functional, one in a relatively green patch in the otherwise glitzy glass & concrete jungle, Gurugram, with its high SUV density and factories. Haryana’s Faridabad has been India’s most polluted city. Fifteen of India’s top 100 most polluted cities on PM2.5 levels are in Haryana. So, it’s extraordinary that the Haryana government isn’t prioritizing this, especially given the increasing burden of asthma and COPD. Faridabad and Gurugram are part of NCR, consistently the country’s most polluted bloc. In Delhi, when AQI hovers at poor, the refrain is – it’s not so bad.
PC: Norton Healthcare Provider
- Think about what extent polluted air is normalized and what our children breathe. Wheezing, sneezing, watery eyes, persistent coughs, children’s quality of life is compromised from that very first outing in their strollers. The casual link between air toxins and the rising incidence of asthma in children has been known for years. Here’s the thing. Per a non-profit researching energy and air pollution, CREA, air quality in 250 of 293 Indian cities Jan to June overshot the WHO’s annual PM 2.5 standard. So, it’s not hotspots alone. Many mofussil areas too are not spared. Flaming red AQIs barely impact business practices. But it does red flag about various govts failing to crack down on non-compliance with air pollution standards. Haryana is not measuring either. Sad indeed.
