Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting and directed all the concerned departments to take concrete and effective steps so that pollution control can be accelerated.
This high-level meeting was aimed at discussing the solutions to reduce the pollution in the city and make it clean and green. The meeting was attended by environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, officials from various concerned departments including Delhi Police, CAQM, DDA, PWD and Municipal Corporation.
“The government is committed to working with all stakeholders to improve air quality and expand green areas in the city. With the support of Delhiites, we are constantly working towards building a clean, green and healthy capital,” Gupta said.
The air pollution has been a long standing issue for the people of Delhi. The Capital faces several difficulties the entire year and things get worse during the winter season when young and senior citizens struggle to breath due to the thick layer of smog that covers the entire city.
Meanwhile, according to a research published in NPJ Clean Air, the fine particulate matter (PM1) in Delhi may be absorbing moisture from the humid winter air, leading to an underestimation of pollution levels by upto 20 per cent.
The study highlights how hygroscopic growth, the swelling of particles due to moisture absorption, reduces the efficiency of pollution monitoring devices, potentially distorting air quality assessments.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK, the study addresses a key gap in understanding PM1 pollution in New Delhi, the world’s most polluted megacity.
According to the 2024 World Air Quality report by IQAir, the Swiss air quality organisation, New Delhi remains the world’s most polluted capital city. PM1 particles, which are smaller than a micron in diameter, pose severe health risks as they can infiltrate lung tissue and enter the bloodstream.
