- 32 minutes ago
Air quality across the national capital remained in the severe and hazardous category ahead of Diwali, with multiple monitoring stations recording an Air Quality Index crossing the 400 and near-500 mark. Areas including Rohini and IIT Delhi recorded severe levels above 470, while thick layers of smog reduced visibility across landmarks such as the Akshardham temple. Health advisories highlighted severe risks of respiratory distress, particularly for children and the elderly. Meanwhile, ground data revealed over 2,700 farm fire cases registered in Punjab till November 5, with Tarn Taran district recording the highest number of stubble burning incidents. Political contention intensified over agricultural fires as authorities face persistent challenges in checking seasonal pollution levels. The toxic atmospheric conditions also led to sporting disruptions, including the shifting of the India-Sri Lanka ODI from Delhi to Visakhapatnam due to hazardous weather conditions.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Focus turns to the big story of not the day, not the week, but the season.
00:05Yes, it is again that time of the year that we are reporting about
00:09where Delhi is breathing in poisonous air.
00:15There's no two ways about it, there's no better way to put it.
00:18But the fact that Delhi continues to breathe toxic air.
00:21And this is even before Diwali has arrived.
00:24Delhi's air quality hours around severe category.
00:27Very poor AQI overall, hazardous across many locations in pockets, that is.
00:34Delhi's IIT Delhi air quality right now is at 474,
00:39which is more than what we had last hour come to report around Delhi's other areas.
00:45Rohini, in fact, are the worst recorded AQI this morning
00:50when we had brought to you information about it standing somewhere close to 470 itself.
00:55But right now, the worst hit area is Delhi's IIT.
01:00It stands at 474.
01:02Inching close, very, very close to 500.
01:04Remember, since November 4th and 5th, the past two days,
01:09the average AQI in the capital has already crossed it to 500.
01:12Somewhere hovering near 510 to 516 yesterday.
01:16And today, we'll perhaps see a repeat of that, given that in pockets itself, 28.
01:22Yesterday, the number of stations that had recorded more over the 400 hazardous mark
01:27were 18 stations.
01:29Today, that's increased to 28.
01:30As our colleague Anshul was only bringing us this very information.
01:34We have Anshul with us as we speak.
01:37Anshul, while we were taking a look at the fire incident in Delhi,
01:44right now, okay, we will get back to Anshul there.
01:47We do also have Amit Bhardwa joining us right now.
01:51Amit, we were just talking about the air quality a little while back with Anshul as well.
01:57And he was, the concern that remains is the repeat that we see.
02:02Whether it, what government it is, doesn't matter.
02:05What winter action plan they have in place, does not matter.
02:09Grap measures do not matter.
02:12I think, simply, I can see in the background the fact that early morning,
02:16since early morning itself, Delhi has already been shrouded with that blanket of smog.
02:22It speaks volumes that no matter what's being done,
02:26very little has actually affected the reality or changed the reality of the ground.
02:36Absolutely right, Freya.
02:37In fact, while you were, you know, asking that question,
02:40I was also scheming through the data that's coming in from the Central Pollution Control Board
02:46through the Sameer platform.
02:48That's what Delhi looks like.
02:49And it's scary.
02:5025, nearly 25 of the AQI stations in the National Capital are in severe category.
02:56Yesterday, we were speaking about Jahangirpuri.
02:58Today, Rohini seems to be the worst affected area in IIT Delhi,
03:01where apparently many of the people living there would think a little blessed
03:06because there is greenery around and, you know, you would hope that things are better there.
03:10But IIT Delhi is standing right two points below Rohini.
03:154.73 is the AQI at IIT Delhi.
03:19At Rohini, it is 4.75.
03:21And this is not some random data, but the Central Government's own collated data
03:26from 59 EQI stations across the National Capital.
03:30So what does that mean for people living in Delhi?
03:33Let's get a picture for the viewers who must be watching the television quite early in the day.
03:38Akshar Tham Mandur, every morning I show you these visuals.
03:41And with each passing day, I can tell you that the situation is becoming grim
03:46because the visibility out here is reducing.
03:50Two days back, I could see at least something beyond the Akshar Tham complex.
03:55Now everything is covered in the thick layer of smock.
03:58Now remember, while we are breathing in this kind of air,
04:03even when we report, it is as per the health experts
04:06and the Central Government's own advisory to prolong the exposure to this kind of air
04:11could, you know, trigger respiratory illness.
04:15So that is an advisory into the regard of the severe category of air pollution that we have.
04:24And Delhi's overall AQI is actually racing towards 400 mark,
04:28while places like IIT, Delhi and Rohini are trying to touch that 500 mark.
04:33That number, you know, might not sound scary,
04:36but if you just go through the details or maybe just do a bit of Google on your mobile phones,
04:42you will understand what kind of impact it can have on your health.
04:48And for children and elderly, I believe many of our own family members
04:52in the National Capital, in the National Capital region, are already coughing.
04:56You know, they are feeling a sense of heaviness, difficulty in breathing.
05:00All of this, I am not exaggerating, rather it is a factor.
05:03No, no, there is no question of exaggeration here, Amit.
05:08And the numbers, let's be very clear, viewers, it's not a joke.
05:12It's not even for that matter meager.
05:15It is scary.
05:16The situation is scary.
05:17This is not something that we are trying to, in fact, create panic about,
05:21but it is poisonous air that we are all breathing,
05:24including us, in the NCR itself.
05:26And that is the reality of the situation.
05:29There is no other way to sugarcoat or put it about.
05:31Amit, thank you for giving us all of those details and do stay back with us.
05:35Viewers, there is more news that is coming in around this very subject itself.
05:38Let's take you through that next.
05:47So, our next focus is on one of the reasons, main reasons that's been in focus for years now,
05:54citing the farm fires, that is the stubble burning in Punjab,
06:00which is what the Delhi government has come out to cite,
06:02which is one of the main reasons for the AQI being quiet, hazardous and severe in the national capital.
06:10Now, what's the reality?
06:12Well, the Punjab government had come out to initially say that the farm fires this time,
06:16there's hardly any.
06:18We've not started officially with the season's stubble burning,
06:21and there's hardly any cases.
06:23So, Punjab cannot be contributing to the decreasing AQI air quality in the national capital.
06:29But there is a shocking data that we are presenting before you.
06:33These are the numbers that emerge from the ground,
06:35even when the Punjab CM come out to defend the situation.
06:39Over 2,000 farm fire cases in Punjab till November 5th itself.
06:45Over 710 FIIs have been registered, 46 lakhs have been imposed as penalties.
06:51In Punjab, Tarantaran has the highest farm fire cases already.
06:54Stubble burning in Punjab till November 5th, we get to here.
06:58The number is as high as 2,787 cases.
07:04Total number of FIIs registered stands at 710.
07:08Total fine imposed stands at 46.10 lakh rupees.
07:13And in Tarantaran alone,
07:16the district alone has come out to record cases of around 500,
07:22more than 500, 586 to be more specific with the numbers at this point.
07:27This is the data that we are receiving
07:29that really, really brings to fore a different reality
07:33from what the Punjab CM has been, in fact, speaking about.
07:36Aseem Bassi joining me on the broadcast with more details on this.
07:39Aseem, a very good morning to you.
07:42Just a day ago, as well, we'd seen Bhaguntman coming in and saying that,
07:47you know, Manjinder Singh Sirsai is speaking about stubble burning,
07:51but where is the stubble burning happening in Punjab?
07:53Well, here it is.
07:55Tarantaran coming out with 586 cases.
07:58In total, Punjab having recorded 2,700 cases already of farm fires.
08:03Well, that is the reality, which, you know,
08:08you may be trying to sugarcoat it in press conference,
08:12but the pictures speak much louder than the words right now.
08:18Definitely, as far as stubble burning cases are concerned,
08:21now, as of the 5th of November,
08:232,700 and 87 cases have been recorded.
08:26Till now, although yesterday it was till 2, 3, 4, 7,
08:29but a jump of around 400 cases has been seen in the past 3, 4 hours.
08:33Yes, there is a lot of politics which is being done.
08:35BGP bringing the Armand Party,
08:36and the Armand Party saying that we are doing a lot of effort.
08:39Although, in the past few years,
08:41numbers have come down as comparison to last year also,
08:44numbers are down.
08:45But past few days, we have seen that regular stubble burning cases
08:49are coming across districts of Punjab,
08:51with Tarantaran recording 586.
08:54So, definitely, even though we spoke to the finance minister yesterday,
08:58Paul Seema, he said that it is just that Punjab is being defamed.
09:03But definitely, with numbers growing every day,
09:07definitely, there is more talking to be done by the Armand Party
09:10that why these cases are now jumping.
09:15And thank you for putting those details into context for our viewers.
09:21And viewers, as I was mentioning earlier,
09:24that Chief Minister Bhagavan Taman had come out to say
09:26that it is Manjinder Singh Sirsa who is trying to defame Punjab.
09:29Well, listen in to what Sirsa had said,
09:32and that is attacking the Punjab government over the situation
09:35as far as stubble burning is concerned.
09:40ने PC करकर यह जूड बोला कि अभी पंजाब का धान कटना शुरू नहीं हुआ जब कि उन्हीं की सरकार
09:48ने जो आंकड़े दिये हैं उसके मुताबक
09:5177% 77% कटाई हो चुकी हैं दूसरी बात उन्हें कही कि क्या पंजाब का धुआ जाता धिली में
10:03किस तरह से आम आदमी पार्टी दिली की हवा खराब करने के लिए दिली के लोगों की एक साल की
10:12मिनित पर पानी फेरने के लिए योजना बन तरीके से दिली में खराब हवा पहुं
10:21When with Punjab in Delhi, it's also a double-luckstance from Delhi.
10:51The Arun Jaitley Stadium on December 13th has also been shifted to Vishakha, Patnam
10:56with the BCCI sighting weather conditions.
10:59Delhi's toxic air has threatened to disrupt the cricket matches before.
11:04In December 2017, during the India-Sri Lanka test match,
11:08Sri Lankan players had to wear anti-pollution masks
11:11as the thick smog made it difficult for them to even breathe.
11:16Several players complained of nausea, with play even being halted for nearly 20 minutes.
11:20But this comes out to raise a much bigger concern.
11:25If Delhi's air is already this toxic ahead of Diwali,
11:28what lies once the festivities are over?
11:31We have had that debate time and again with regards to
11:34whether crackers should be best in such situations
11:37and the Supreme Court has in fact given a nod to green crackers.
11:42But the question that remains is just how toxic, how further can it get,
11:48how much more toxic can it get as we speak of the air pollution,
11:53the air quality index worsening with the festivities also being factored in
11:59because Diwali is day after tomorrow.
12:02So yes, what will we wake up to on November 9th?
12:04That's a question we'll perhaps only get an answer,
12:07but the picture seems to be quite clear already.
12:09It's a toxic build-up to Diwali viewers that we're looking at.
12:13November 1st, having recorded an average AQI of 396.
12:18November 2nd is when the season's first breach of the 400 hazardous mark was recorded in Delhi.
12:25That is 436.
12:27November 3rd, it rested at 441.
12:30November 4th is when it went a step further
12:32and went ahead to increase and cross the 500 mark and stood at 510.
12:39November 5th, well, it was at 516 yesterday.
12:44Today, perhaps higher because we're already looking at the day beginning
12:47with 28 stations having recorded more than 400 AQI.
12:52It's only getting concerning with very little answers from the authorities
12:57as to what needs to be done, what can be done,
12:59tackling and battling the situation year after year.
13:04But then, also let's take a look at cricket
13:07and how cricket has been affected previously as well.
13:11Well, it's a sport to begin with.
13:12And doctors usually come out to say,
13:16do not step out of your houses if you don't need,
13:18if it's not absolutely a necessity during these times.
13:22Because it's not just those vulnerable to respiratory diseases
13:26that are at risk,
13:28but basically anybody and everybody is at risk of breathing in this toxic air.
13:33And cricketers, all the more, because they are playing a sport,
13:36they're in requirement of breathing in more and more of oxygen
13:41while they are active on the field.
13:44It's a replay of 2017 that we see.
13:47Why so?
13:48Because that was also an India-Sri Lanka match
13:50that we're speaking of,
13:52referring back to Sri Lankan cricketers.
13:53Because of the air quality being so poor,
13:57had to wear anti-pollution masks.
13:59Imagine, we oftentimes feel suffocated
14:01while consistently having to put a mask,
14:04those N95 masks that are advised by doctors during such times
14:09for people who have to absolutely step out of their houses for work,
14:13for different other activities.
14:15These players had to wear those masks while playing the sport.
14:19So soon after, they complained of recklessness,
14:22burning ice,
14:23because it's not just the respiratory system
14:25that gets affected by this air
14:27and this choked up with smog air that we're speaking of.
14:31It also makes your eyes burn.
14:32It leads to nausea.
14:34You end up losing appetite.
14:35Some of the players reportedly even vomited on the field
14:39because of how severely they were affected with that polluted air.
14:44The game had to, in fact, be halted for 20 long minutes
14:47and then the players' safety came under the lens due to the toxic air.
14:52That's how bad the situation got.
14:54And this is the reality we're talking about of 2017.
14:59Almost 10 years later,
15:01what do we see having changed?
15:03Very little.
15:03If not, the situation getting worse at this point.
15:07So this is a big question
15:09that all of the governments in this neighbouring area
15:11really need to take into account
15:13and, of course,
15:15with cooperation and coordination with the centre as well.