Delh's air quality drops to 'emergency' category first time since January
New Delhi: The blanket of haze over Delhi thickened on Friday morning with the national capital's pollution levels increasing overnight by around 50 points, taking the overall air quality index to 459.
A Central Pollution Control Board official said the AQI entered the "severe plus" or "emergency" category late Thursday night, the first time since January this year.
If the air quality persists in the "severe plus" category for more than 48 hours, emergency measures such as odd-even car rationing scheme, banning entry of trucks, construction activities and shutting down schools are taken under the Graded Response Action Plan, the official said.
The hazardous pollution levels forced a number of people to miss morning walks and other activities.
Shubhomoy Sikdar, a Delhi-based journalist, said the pollution levels gave him a throat infection and he had to skip his daily sports session.
Amanpreet Singh, a resident of Jangpura, said he has been avoiding morning and evening walks and preferring to stay indoors. The number of masked faces continued to grow as the city remained shrouded in pungent haze for the fourth consecutive day.
At 8.30 am, the capital's overall air quality index stood at 459. It was 410 at 8 pm on Thursday. All the 37 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded the air quality in the severe category on Friday morning.
Bawana was the most-polluted area with an AQI of 497, followed by Delhi Technological University (487), Wazirpur (485), Anand Vihar (484) and Vivek Vihar (482).
Neighbouring Ghaziabad was the most-polluted city in the country, with the levels of PM2.5 -- tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 microns that can enter deep into the lungs -- reaching as high as 493.
Greater Noida (480), Noida (477), and Faridabad (432) also breathed extremely polluted air.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good , 51-100 satisfactory , 101-200 moderate , 201-300 poor , 301-400 very poor , and 401-500 severe . Above 500 is severe-plus or emergency category.
Delhi is impatiently hoping for favourable meteorological conditions to blow away the toxic air, as health experts said the hazardous air pollution has become a serious health concern for about 2 crore residents.
"Intake of every 22 micrograms per cubic metre of polluted air is equivalent to smoking a cigarette. So whether the PM2.5 level is 700 or 300 units, the impact is still as bad. People need to take precautions, especially those suffering from asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory illness," said Dr Arvind Kumar, lung surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here.
Weather experts said increased wind speed due to a fresh western disturbance approaching the northern region would help disperse pollutants faster from Saturday.
Parents are a worried lot as health experts say children breathe faster, taking in more pollutants. Many took to Twitter to demand that schools be shut till the situation ameliorates.
"We, as parents, request Delhi government to keep all schools (pvt and govt) shut for the time being," Anil Atri, a Delhi resident, posted on the microblogging site.
"Whole Delhi air at hazardous levels now. Pollution at its peak. Activate all emergency measures. Close down schools @msisodia (sic)," another resident tweeted.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Wednesday said the decision to shut schools would be taken "when the need arises". In November 2017, the government had shut schools for a few days due to the deteriorating air quality.
The government, however, started distributing 50 lakh N95 masks, considered one of the good quality masks for tackling smog, among school students in Delhi on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the BCCI said it would carry on with the India-Bangladesh T20 at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds on Sunday, disregarding concerns raised by environmentalists about the health of players and thousands of spectators.
The AQI takes into account five chief pollutants -- particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 micrometres (PM10), PM2.5, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and health concerns.
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Dental student death: Probe against faculty after harassment allegations
Kannur (Kerala)(PTI): Police have launched a probe against faculty members of Kannur Dental College after a first-year student died after falling from a building in a suspected suicide, officials said on Sunday.
Chakkarakkal police, who registered a case of unnatural death, initiated the probe after the parents and friends of the deceased alleged that he had been subjected to emotional harassment by faculty members.
The deceased has been identified as Nithin Raj RL (22), a native of Uzhamalackal, Puthukulangara, Thiruvananthapuram and a first-year BDS student of the college located in Anjarakandy here.
According to police, Raj was found critically injured near the medical college block after falling from the building on the afternoon of April 10. Though he was rushed to the medical college and given treatment, he later succumbed to his injuries.
Following the incident, the college initiated an internal inquiry and on Saturday suspended Dental Anatomy Department Head MK Ram and Associate Professor KT Sangeetha Nambiar.
Police said Raj had sent an audio message to his friends alleging harassment by faculty members, including threats of physical assault and academic repercussions such as reducing his marks in examinations.
Officials at Chakkarakkal police station said a detailed probe is underway into the incident, with digital evidence being collected.
Also, statements by Raj's classmates, college authorities and family members will be recorded soon, police added.
Raj's father Rajan told reporters that his son was emotionally and "verbally harassed" by teachers over his dark complexion and poor family background.
"He worked hard without any support to secure admission on a merit seat in the dental college. But he was harassed by faculty over his caste and complexion. They also threatened to harm him academically," Rajan claimed.
He said that they have lodged a complaint against the faculty members with the police and are expecting a fair probe into the death of his son.
Raj's sister Nikitha said that he had faced repeated harassment based on caste and complexion.
She claimed that Raj had filed a complaint with the college principal, but no action was taken.
"He used to tell us about such discrimination and harassment regularly. He was once called to the staff room where he was severely harassed," she alleged.
The sister also claimed that Raj was once called a "slum dog" in the classroom in front of other students by a faculty member. "Once, when the harassment became unbearable, he reacted, after which the verbal abuse intensified," she added.
When contacted, college authorities told PTI that two faculty members had been suspended and that they were cooperating with the police investigation.
"We will fully cooperate with the investigation and share all details. Further action will be taken based on the outcome of the police probe," an official said.
The body of Raj was brought to his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, and buried on the land owned by the family.
Sheeba MR, mother of veterinary student Sidharthan JS, who died in 2024 allegedly after being ragged by fellow students at the Government Veterinary College, Wayanad, visited the house of Raj.
Sheeba said that after her son’s death, she had hoped such incidents would not recur in colleges, but a similar tragedy had happened again.
"These suspensions are only cosmetic as those responsible will be reinstated later. In Sidharthan’s case, the accused students were to be re-admitted soon. Only after our legal fight are they still kept out," she said.
Meanwhile, political leaders also demanded a detailed probe into the incident.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala called for a high-level inquiry into Raj’s death.
He said the government should take seriously the allegations by the student’s parents and relatives that caste-and-complexion-based harassment led to the death and take urgent steps to bring those responsible to justice.
Chennithala said the issue should not be closed by merely suspending two teachers and noted that the parents had firmly alleged severe caste discrimination.
Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan visited Raj’s house and demanded a thorough probe.
"Teachers are expected to guide students. How did such people become teachers? There should be a detailed probe," he said.
He added that strict intervention was needed to ensure such incidents are not repeated in the state.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim also visited the family and described the incident as painful.
Rahim said Raj was the hope of his family, which had supported his education despite hardship.
"CPI(M) will stand with the family until justice is delivered. Such an incident should not have happened in a society like Kerala," he said.
He also compared the incident with the death of Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad.
"The family has told us that Raj faced repeated caste discrimination and was deeply affected by it. A detailed probe must be conducted and justice ensured. The action taken should set an example so that such incidents are not repeated in Kerala," Rahim said.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Sunday directed the police to conduct a detailed probe into the death of the student and submit a report within a week.
The Commission took a case on its own based on media reports.
Commission Judicial member K Baijunath issued directions to the Kannur City Police Commissioner to investigate the allegations surrounding the incident and file a report within the stipulated time, according to a statement.
