According to Gurfan Beig, chief project scientist of SAFAR, PM2.5 level is expected to reach 252 and PM 10 unit at 413 tomorrow, which has been classified as ‘severe’. This is much more than the safe limits of 60 mcgm/cubic metre for PM 2.5 and 100 for PM 10.
The PM 2.5 and PM 10 level recorded by SAFAR was 225 and 382 respectively on Wednesday.
However, SAFAR, an arm of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), said there will be some relief thereafter and the pollution level will see a marginal decline till November 7.
For the past few days, the Capital could be seen engulfed in a thick haze with extremely high level of suspended particulate matters keeping the air quality ‘poor’. Incidentally, the first major rise in pollution level was witnessed on October 31.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Wednesday sought the Centre’s intervention in directing the Punjab and the Haryana government to check crop burning in their respective States, one of the major factors leading to smog in the Capital.
Environment Minister Imran Hussain held a meeting with the MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, SDMs, and tehsildars to discuss the issue of paddy stubble burning and its detrimental effects on the air quality.