The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of intense spell of rainfall in Pune and subsequent flooding in low-lying areas as Cyclone Maha is set to make a landfall between Diu and Porbandar along Gujarat coast. With a wind speed of 190 km/hr and gushing speed of 210 km/hr, the extremely severe cyclonic storm is likely to cause “heavy to very heavy rain” in parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat over the next few days, Anupam Kashyapi, head of weather department, IMD, said. The cyclone, however, is expected to weaken to a severe cyclone before it makes landfall between November 6 midnight and November 7 early morning, IMD officials said.
As of 7 pm Monday, CPCB recorded PM 2.5 at 290, below the ‘severe’ category of 300, and PM 10 at 398 as against emergency level of 500. On Sunday, PM 2.5 had touched a peak of 560 and PM 10 665.9.
As Cyclone Maha over East-Central Arabian Sea intensified into an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm', the Navy said on Tuesday its western command has prepared for humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) operations along the Gujarat and north Maharashtra coast. Four warships of the Western Naval Command have been loaded with HADR materials like food packets, water, medical supplies and other essential commodities. Naval units of Gujarat Naval Area are ready with emergency response teams equipped with underwater diving equipment and inflatable boats. Additionally, naval aircraft and helicopters are also on standby, it said.
Schools and colleges in coastal Palghar district of Maharashtra will remain closed from November 6 to 8 in view of warning of heavy rain due to cyclone `Maha'. Fishermen in Palghar and neighbouring Thane districts have also been asked not to venture into the sea, officials said. Palghar district collector Kailas Shinde has ordered the closure of schools and colleges for three days, said chief of the district disaster management cell Vivekananda Kadam on Tuesday.
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Parts of the coastal Konkan, central Maharashtra and Marthawada regions are likely to receive rains along with Goa over the next two days due to severe cyclonic storm 'Maha', which is expected to make a landfall on the Gujarat coast near UT of Diu on November 7. 'Maha' is forming over the east-central and west-central Arabian Sea, an official said, adding that it is likely to move rapidly towards the east-northeast while weakening further, Met department said on Tuesday.
Observing that citizens have a fundamental right to breathe clean air, the National Green Tribunal said on Tuesday there is a need to develop a system, with the help of experts, to forecast situations of public health emergency. The tribunal said there are three well-acknowledged sources of air pollution -- stubble burning, municipal and industrial waste burning, and dust -- yet the authorities have failed to prevent these.
"The problem is that in spite of identification of the problem, it still remains. Suppose the problem of air pollution cannot be tackled. We have experts who can predict about the situation and can tell people in advance so that do not panic. There are senior citizens, infants who are worst sufferers," the bench said.
Senior India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Chief Ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana to devise a mechanism to curtail air pollution in northern India which has caused severe health hazards. "I want to speak about pollution in North India. We all are a cause for it, including me. We drive cars and burn fuel and cause harm to the environment. We have learnt over the last few years that fodder burning also causes a lot of pollution," Harbhajan appealed through a video message uploaded on his twitter account.
Ever since the Northern Indian region has been gripped by severe air pollution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the issue for the first time. Chairing the meeting, which discussed the pollution situation in Delhi and other states, Modi was also briefed about Cyclone Maha, which is now moving towards the Gujarat coast.
The air quality in Chandigarh plunged to the "very poor" category on Monday and the AQI reached upto 336 micrograms per cubic metre on Monday which went up to 270 micrograms per cubic metre on Sunday.
Officials of the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee attributed the poor air quality to stubble burning in adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana. As the air quality dropped to very poor category, it suggests that there is respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.
Moderate to heavy snowfall and rains have been predicted in union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for three days starting from tomorrow, the weather department predicted.
"There is an active Western Disturbance. Its interaction with Cyclone MAHA (currently lying over East-central Arabian sea) is most likely to cause widespread moderate to heavy snowfall and rain in plains of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh during 6th to 8th November", Director of State Met department, Sonam Lotus said.
-PTI inputs
Around 29 farmers in Muzzafarnagar have been penalised with a fine of Rs 2,500 each for allegedly burning crop residue in their fields, officials said.
Additional District Magistrate Arvind Singh told reporters that district authorities in Shamli had cautioned farmers against the stubble burning, which is a cause of pollution.
-PTI inputs
Delhi Chief Secretary, in relation to the air pollution, told NGT the Centre is coming down heavily on the burning of waste and any person seen doing so can report, wherein action will be taken by officials.
"We feel that the actions taken by us are deficient,we need to take more steps. We are coming down heavily on burning of waste. Anybody who sees burning of waste can report to us& we will take action against the responsible officials," says Delhi Chief Secretary.
The NGT questions the Centre's decision to stop construction in the Delhi-NCR region due to air pollution saying huge funds are lying unused in welfare fund under Building &Other Construction Workers Act.
"We are told every activity of construction work has been stopped. Who suffers here? The construction workers, they become unemployed. Huge funds are lying unused in welfare fund under Building &Other Construction Workers Act," the tribunal said.
The Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT)on the issue of air pollution that meetings have been held at the level of secretaries and Rs 1150 crores have been distributed to different states. The Centre said it has provided an additional 50,000 machines to last year's 14,000.
Intense spell of rain is predicted in parts of Maharashtra, Kutch, Kerala, West Bengal and North East region including — Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, according to IMD.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into central & northeast Arabian Sea and along & off Gujarat coast and adjoining north Maharashtra coast, north Andaman sea and southeast & east-central Bay of Bengal.
As per the latest recordings, the air quality in Delhi-NCR is categorised as "very poor", CPCB stated.
Here is the air quality in Delhi-NCR region on the Air Quality Index (AQI):
Delhi: 378
Gurgaon- 398
Noida- 398
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