 "Vehicles ply through smog on a road in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)")
As the air quality in Delhi remained severe for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday, experts said the smog that enveloped the national capital a day before was worse in the last 17 years.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility at Safdarjung and Palam on Thursday between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm was 400 and 500 metres respectively due to smog. Around 5.30 am, the visibility at Safdarjung was 50 metres, but due to fog.
Based on the IMD data, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) experts pitched for emergency steps to save people from respiratory and heart diseases.
The emergency steps, they suggested, includes staying indoors.
"The government should aggressively advise people to stay indoors and avoid outdoor exercises. At the same time, it should roll out stringent winter pollution control from all sources along with emergency action," says Anumita Roychowdhury, head of CSE's air pollution division.
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As per the experts, unending burning of paddy stubble in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, low winds and pollution during Diwali and other sources of pollution along with weather-related factors led to such abnormal levels of smog.
According to meteorological scientists, there was virtually no wind in the vertical column, which is expected to persist for a few more days.
"Satellite images from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's fire mapper have shown that paddy burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have increased after Diwali.
"The images clearly revealed that after October 30, crop residue burning in these states became more aggressive, which contributed to the severe smog in the national capital," the CSE said.
More than 200 online petitioners have urged the Prime Minister to intervene and chalk out a solution for clean air in Delhi, Change.org said.
The US-based online petition platform 'Change.org', said that over 200 petitions were filed within 24 hours after the smog crisis hit Delhi on November 2.
It added that several other petitions were filed by people against Delhi's pollution after Diwali.
"The biggest petition, titled Ban on crackers for the well being of the environment, which was started by Delhi resident Akshay Gaur, got more than 32,000 signatures in less than a day," Nida, a Change.org spokesperson said.
She added that another petition, which asked the Prime Minister to intervene, has collected over 3,000 signatures.
The petition points out, "This issue cannot be solved by one government agency as multiple states are involved - Delhi, Haryana, UP and Punjab. We, the citizens of NCR, demand that immediate steps be taken under the leadership of the Prime Minister of India".
The petitions filed on the Change.org are marked to the concerned person, lawmaker or authority. It works through consistent buzzes and emails to the person concerned as the number of signature increases.
On Wednesday, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded the worst smog in 17 years with visibility as low as 300-400 metres.
Data from Delhi Pollution Control Committee shows that the levels of PM2.5 (particulate matters with the diameter less than 2.5 mm) have increased by 62.7 per cent on November 2 as compared with that on Diwali. On November 2, the levels were 9.4 times the standard norms.
Urging the central government to intervene as it would take several state governments to work together, experts suggest the ailing people to stay indoors and cautioned people to avoid outdoor exercises for a few days.
"Delhi needs an effective winter pollution mitigation plan that can make a difference. Without strong action, smog is only expected to get worse this winter at serious public health costs," Roychowdhury added.
