Monday, November 9, 2009

delhi battling 4-fog or smog

This is what most Delhiites have been waking up to for the past couple of days - a thick layer of fog and dust hanging over the capital and its suburbs.

What hit Delhi on Saturday?

Top experts haven't been able to agree. The meteorological department indicates it's fog and blamed the unusually early occurrence, on a lack of wind and low temperatures.

Those who say it's fog, reason - the levels of dust and some other pollutants has almost doubled since 2001 even though CNG has reduced carbon monoxide.

But pollution watchers say it was smog and that the problem is more chronic.

"It is a combination of factors, the increase in the number of vehicles, combined with more congestion on the roads and construction is leading to more pollution," said Vivek Chattopadhyaya, Senior Researcher-pollution, CSE.

This group cites the increase in primarily because of other pollutants shooting up like sulphuric dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

More than a 1000 new vehicles are registered in the capital everyday but if that's not bad enough, experts say that it is the sharp increase in the number of private diesel cars over the past few years that is making matters worse.

Some experts say that the massive housing construction boom in Gurgaon and Delhi and as well as for the Commonwealth Games have also literally kicked up more dust which caused Saturday's haze.

But the CM is not convinced.

"This is not linked to Commonwealth, otherwise it would happen every year," said Shiela Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi.

But experts agree that dust and pollution is increasing and that it may mean more days like last Saturday.

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