Why in the News?

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 235 marking its worst level in 99 days. This is the highest September AQI in nine years, surpassing 235 for the first time since 2015. The primary contributor to pollution is the transport sector, with stubble burning and dry winds exacerbating the situation.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

• It is a standardized system used to measure and communicate the quality of air in a specific area.
• Pollutants
  • Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5): Tiny particles that can penetrate the respiratory system.
  • Ground-level Ozone (O3): A harmful gas that can affect breathing and overall health.
  • Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂): A gas that can irritate the lungs and lower resistance to respiratory infections.
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂): A gas that can affect the respiratory system and is produced by industrial processes.
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO): A colorless, odorless gas that can be harmful when inhaled in large amounts.
• AQI Scale
  • 0-50: Good
  • 51-100: Moderate
  • 101-150: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
  • 151-200: Unhealthy
  • 201-300: Very Unhealthy
  • 301-500: Hazardous

Stubble Burning

• Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November.
• It is a process of setting on fire the straw stubble, left after the harvesting of grains, like paddy, wheat, etc.
• The process of burning farm residue is one of the major causes of air pollution in parts of north India, deteriorating the air quality.
• It is considered a major cause of air pollution in Delhi and its adjoining regions.
• Pollution: It emits toxic pollutants in the atmosphere containing harmful gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOC).
• Soil fertility: Soil becomes less fertile, and its nutrients are destroyed when the husk is burned on the ground. It generates heat that penetrates the soil, causing an increase in erosion, loss of useful microbes and moisture.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

• Founded: 22 September 1974
• Chairman: Tanmay Kumar
• It is a statutory organization in India established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974.
• Its primary role is to promote and ensure the protection and improvement of the quality of the environment in India.
• It operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Key Programs
  • National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)
  • National Water Quality Monitoring Programme
  • Hazardous Waste Management
  • Integrated Environmental Management