Vehicles crawl on expressway as smog brings down visibility

Smog engulfed the city for the second consecutive day on Thursday. Traffic moved slowly on the Gurgaon expressway and many stayed indoors. The level of pollution was also higher than Wednesday.

Smog engulfed the city for the second consecutive day on Thursday. Traffic moved slowly on the Gurgaon expressway and many stayed indoors. The level of pollution was also higher than Wednesday.

According to Haryana State Pollution Control Board data, the average concentration of PM2.5 also increased from 427.5µg/m³ on Wednesday to 803µg/m³ on Thursday. (Parveen Kumar)

According to the central pollution control board (CPCB) data, the level of PM2.5 was 824 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) at 2pm, more than 13 times the permissible limit of 60 µg/m³. The level of PM 2.5 at 2pm on Wednesday was 727µg/m³.

According to Haryana State Pollution Control Board data, the average concentration of PM2.5 also increased from 427.5µg/m³ on Wednesday to 803µg/m³ on Thursday.

Officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the weather is not likely to improve soon and the region might experience more foggy days.

“Visibility was less than 400 metres on Thursday during the morning hours and it is very dangerous for commuters to travel in such conditions,” an official of the IMD said.

Traffic moved at a slow pace on NH-8 but no accident was reported. Commuters said they felt uneasy due to the high level of pollution.

“It was difficult travelling in the city. I could not see any landmarks while commuting to my office,” Kesav Mohan of Sector 40 said.

Naina Arora of Golf Course Road said, “The air is cancerous and we are breathing in gases that make up smoke. It was really difficult for me to travel on Golf Course Road today due to dust and smog.”

The minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 17 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature was 30 degrees Celsius. The smog thickened in the afternoon and cloudy conditions prevailed.

Due to the high level of pollution, doctors advised residents to stay indoors. “There has been a 15% increase in cases related to respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, allergies and difficulty in breathing, over the last three days. Such weather conditions can also cause cardiac issues besides congestion in the chest,” Dr Rajesh Kumar, senior consultant, internal medicine department of Paras Hospital, said.

Doctors also advised higher caution for children and the elderly.

Dr Ila Samar, a senior consultant at W Pratiksha hospital, said, “Pollution, particularly the smog, causes worsening of bronchial asthma in patients who already have this problem. People are having difficulty in breathing, which can lead to aggravation and worsening of heart problems or sudden precipitation of ischaemic heart disease and heart failure. Even those who don’t have respiratory problems feel suffocated and may develop wheeze associated respiratory disorders, allergic cough and allergic bronchitis.”

Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials said that they will take actions against those burning garbage, which is the major reason for increasing pollutants in the air.

“There are many incidents of garbage burning in different parts of the city every day. This is adding to pollutants in the air and smog is persisting in the atmosphere. We will run a campaign and also issue a notice to those doing so,” Bhupender Singh, regional officer, HSPCB, said.