The National Capital Region is witnessing the emergence of new pollution hotspots. An analysis for the winter season of 2020-2021 by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) identified massive decline in air quality in places not yet designated as hotspots.
At least 14 stations registered higher seasonal PM2.5 concentration than Delhi’s winter average. Experts say it points to the impact of local pollution sources.
Hotspot station:
These locations are Alipur, DTU, ITO, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar and Vivek Vihar in Delhi, Sector 1 and 116 in Noida, Loni, Sanjay Vihar and Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, Knowledge Park V in Greater Noida and Bulandshahr, according to the CSE study.
Due to lockdown air quality improved:
Due to lockdown the air quality in Delhi-NCR improved this year as well but it is not that effective as the last year and the reason could be shorter and lesser strict 2021 crubs, said CSE.
“In 2020, partial lockdown started on March 12 with hard lockdown kicking in on March 25, which was lifted in phase-wise manner from May 18. Then the partial lockdown also brought PM2.5 levels down by 20 per cent, but the hard lockdown reduced it by another 35 per cent,” the CSE said.
