Double-Whammy For Delhi As It Chokes With Heat Waves, 'Severe' Air Quality

By M. Santhiran NEW DELHI, March 29 (Bernama) -- Delhiites have been hit by a double-whammy. They are not only experiencing blistering heat waves but are also choked with a 'severe' air quality index (AQI) level. This involves a poor quality reading of 219 on Wednesday to 410 today, recorded as the sharpest spike in a single day. According to local media here quoting officials, fine particle pollution (PM2.5) and high toxic zone (03) gas were also recorded as very high, with experts warning that particles that can enter deep inside a person's lungs, exposure to O3 can immediately trigger respiratory distress. They also cautioned that it could aggravate lung diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis, and also inflame the airways, causing permanent lung damage in some people, depending on the exposure. "Together, ozone and PM2.5 can play havoc with people's health. Those exposed to the pollutants, even for a short duration, can suffer respiratory problems," cautioned Dr Sandeep Salvi, who heads the Chest Research Foundation in Pune. Times of India quoted Dr Sandeep as saying that asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients were at high risk. He attributed the drastic rise in O3 levels as a direct result of the searing temperatures in the capital. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), since early last year, New Delhi had taken over Beijing as the most polluted city in the world. Experts have predicted O3 would continue to be high till there's rain in the capital, and also warned UV levels in Delhi were way above safety standards. Scientists said the dust storm early Thursday morning led to both PM10 (coarse pollution particles), as well as PM 2.5 levels to peak dramatically. "The levels of PM 2.5 are extremely high after 5am, because of the storm, they noted. "Usually, the PM10 levels peak after dust storms but this time, the levels of fine particles also went up," said Gufran Beig, project director of System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research. In a related development, the death toll in the sweltering heat climbed to 1,826. Yesterday saw 414 deaths recorded in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, the toll rose to 1,334 on Thursday, 314 more than Wednesday while in Telangana (on Thursday), it was 440 as against 340, the previous day. So far, 43 deaths have been reported in the state of Odisha, seven from Gujarat and two from Delhi. --BERNAMA