Delhi's air quality turns 'severe' for first time in season: Authorities
New Delhi, Oct 30: Delhi's air quality turned 'severe' on Tuesday for the first time this season with stubble burning intensifying in neighbouring states, authorities said.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 401, falling in the 'severe' category, the highest this season, Central Pollution Control Board officials said.
The Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) recorded the AQI at 410.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
Eighteen areas of Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality with the highest AQI at 4 PM recorded at Anand Vihar at 467, according to data by the CPCB.
Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Noida recorded 'severe' air pollution, crossing the AQI of 400. Greater Noida's air is also on the brink of turning severe, according to the data.
The Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) attributed the spike to "heavy stubble burning in the last 24 hours and calm winds".
About 28 per cent of pollution by PM2.5 (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) on Tuesday was caused due to regional factors like stubble burning, SAFAR officials said.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) also spotted a large number of biomass fire spots through satellite imageries in neighbouring states of Delhi.
A SAFAR official said pollution is likely to increase faster now with lead pollutant as PM10 because of new development as shown by SAFAR-model where it is indicating that western disturbances may hit over western Himalayan region from October 31.
"Lot of moisture is already getting introduced in Delhi sky as an early signature. The withdrawal will bring even more moisture in the air and result in fall in temperature. Upper winds already turned north-westerly (stubble site) today. Only favourable thing is that upper wind speed is moderate and fire counts are low," the official said.
The leading factor causing severe pollution levels also include moisture and heavy air.
"The increase in surface wind speed can only prevent AQI to cross severe zone," the official said.
D Saha, former additional director and head of air quality management division in CPCB, said entire northern India coupled with the Indo-Gangetic plains are under the grip of 'severe' to 'very poor' air quality.
"There are depression in eastern India, which does not allow free flow of air from north or north west resulting in calm condition both in the upper and lower atmosphere," he said.
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PMLA being misused against Oppn, had warned against amendment during UPA govt: Sharad Pawar
Mumbai, May 17 (PTI): NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said he had warned against a stringent provision being introduced in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the UPA regime, and as he predicted, it was later misused when the government changed.
The law must be amended whenever the power at the Centre changes hands again, he said, speaking at the launch of the Marathi book `Narkatla Swarg' (Heaven inside Hell) written by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
The book is about Raut's experiences in prison after the Enforcement Directorate arrested him in an alleged money laundering case. He later got bail.
When then Union minister P Chidambaram proposed an amendment to the PMLA during the UPA government which put the onus to prove innocence on an arrested person, he, as a cabinet member, warned against it, Pawar said.
"When I read it (Chidambaram's proposal), I told (prime minister) Manmohan Singh it is very dangerous and we should not go ahead with it....I strongly opposed it, saying if the government changes, we will also have to face consequences. But it (the advice) was not heeded," claimed the veteran politician.
"After the government changed, action was taken against Chidambaram and he was arrested. Power was misused," he said, referring to the arrest of the former Union minister by the ED in an alleged money laundering case.
The PMLA is being used by the current BJP-led government to "destroy the entire opposition," said Pawar.
Referring to Raut's book, he said during the UPA regime, nine people (political leaders) were charge sheeted under the PMLA, but none of them was arrested. During the NDA era, action was taken against 19 people, including leaders from Congress, TMC, BJD, undivided Shiv Sena and NCP, RJD, BSP, AAP, TDP, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), AIADMK, DMK and TRS, Pawar added.
Notably, from Pawar's own Nationalist Congress Party, leaders such as Anil Deshmukh, Chhagan Bhujbal and Nawab Malik were arrested in alleged money laundering cases under the PMLA. All of them are now out on bail.
"Whenever people in Maharashtra or in the country bring in a change (in the government), whatever amendments that have been made have to be changed (reversed)," Pawar further said.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale too highlighted on this occasion that under the PMLA, an accused has to prove innocence rather than the investigating agency proving that he or she is guilty.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said India is a federal country and the Centre and states haves equal rights. If the Centre can use agencies like Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Income Tax and laws like the PMLA, then states too should to be empowered to use them, he said.
When even chief ministers like Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand) can be arrested by central agencies and top officials like a director general of police and state chief secretary are summoned by the CBI, how can officials function with strings being pulled by the Centre, he asked.
He also criticised the `One Nation One Election' proposal, stating it looks good on the face of it but lacks transparency.
