The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has claimed that Delhi everyday is breathing poisonous gas. The city’s environment has a mixture of harmful gases like carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, which can lead to a lot of physical ailments, the NGO says in a release.
The organisation analysed air pollution data of the city between November and December and has said that this year, while pollution levels are quite high, it is not just particulate matter that is posing a problem but a deadly mix of ozone, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen.
CSE also found in the study that the official disease statistics of acute respiratory problems in the city went up by 28% between 2005 and 2008. Increase in the number of vehicles and especially diesel vehicles add to the air pollution. A consistent ascend in the level of poisonous gases will give rise to many physical ailments.
In its analysis of Central Pollution Control Board's air quality index, CSE found that several locations in the city were being subjected to a lethal mix of pollutants. In 10 days of December, levels of nitrogen dioxide and other lethal gases breached the safe level on seven days.
"Winter has only aggravated the rising trend of pollutants. Ozone witnessed in strong sun, has also been showing a rising trend this winter. With an hourly standard of 180 micrograms per cum, it has peaked at 268," mentions the study.
