Unsafe thrice over: Nearly half of Delhi’s monitoring stations record high PM2.5

NEW DELHI: Almost half of Delhi’s air quality monitoring stations in 2018 — 17 of 36 stations — recorded the annual PM2.5 average at 115 micrograms per cubic metre. Of these, data analysed by the Centre for Science and Environment showed Anand Vihar with the highest annual PM2.5 average of 161 micrograms per cubic metre, four times the acceptable annual norm of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Delhi's ‘cleanest’ station was at Karni Singh Shooting Range in south Delhi. Though nestled amid greenery, the average PM2.5 concentration for 2018 there was still double the safe standard at 73 micrograms per cubic metre.

“The data analysed has helped us identify Delhi’s worst affected areas, which in turn has helped Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Central Pollution Control Board in deciding the capital’s pollution hotspots,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, who recently presented the data to the CPCB task force and DPCC. “While the annual PM 2.5 average of 115 micrograms is itself three times the limit, some of these stations logged respirable particulate matter around four times the safe standard. This only proves that pollution is a year-round problem.”

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After Anand Vihar, the foulest of the 17 that recorded PM2.5 levels above the city average were the industrial locations of Jahangirpuri (145 micrograms per cubic metre) and Mundka (141 micrograms). The ‘cleanest’ after Karni Singh Shooting Range were Pusa (83 micrograms) and Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport (85 micrograms).

Chowdhury said the high city average was reason alone enough not to let up on the fight against poor air. “With the focus on pollution hotspots this year, the aim is to bring down not only the average PM2.5 levels at these hotspots, but also the city average overall,” she explained. “We are seeing a gradual change annually in the pollution levels, but there is still a long way to go. We need to bring down the levels of pollution by nearly 65% to reach the safe standards.”

In a recent letter to the governments of Delhi and the NCR states, the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority asked for strict monitoring in the 19 hotspots in the NCR and area-specific action plans to be formulated for these areas. Of the 19 identified locations, 14 are in Delhi. They are Okhla Phase II, Dwarka, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, Wazirpur, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, Anand Vihar (including Mandoli), RK Puram, Jahangirpuri and Mayapuri. The annual data has helped pollution bodies identify hotspots in NCR, for which local-level action plans have become functional this winter.