Telling Numbers: Delhi ozone level went beyond limit for 95 days in last 3 years

AQI monitoring station in Delhi. (Express Photo: Abhinav Saha)

During the last three calendar years, ozone was reported as a prominent pollutant for 95 days in Delhi and 11, 48, 8 and 49 days in Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida respectively, the government said in Lok Sabha during the current session of Parliament. These numbers were based on the Air Quality Index of the Central Pollution Control Board. Replying to a question on ozone levels in Delhi-NCR, Environment and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar tabled AQI figures on ozone status for 2016, 2017 and 2018 as well as for the first five months of 2019. The figures showed that until May 31, Delhi has already had 23 days with ozone levels over the prescribed limit, while Faridabad has had 55.

About steps taken to control the rise, the minister noted that ozone is a secondary pollutant formed through atmospheric reactions and the factors responsible are high temperature and emissions from vehicles, power plants and burning of waste. He listed several measures to control such emissions, including a shift from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since April 1, 2018 in NCT of Delhi and from April 1, 2020 in the rest of the country which he said will reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen of heavy duty diesel vehicles by 88.5% in comparison to BS-IV vehicles.

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