SMOGGY TROUBLE CONTINUES
Smog continued to trouble Lucknowites on Friday too with the air pollution level remaining higher than normal.
The forecast says dense fog will cover the city for the next two days and then there may be mist for the next two days. Six cities in the state came under ‘severe category’ of air pollution as they recorded very high levels of PM 2.5 atmospheric particulate matter. CM Yogi Adityanath said strict measures should be put in place to conserve and protect the environment to ward off smog like conditions.
ALLAHABAD: Mild smog engulfed the city all through the day with the sun failing to make its heat felt till around 11 am on Friday. According to weather expert SS Ojha, due to continuous rise in the level of carbon dioxide in atmosphere, density of smog is expected to rise in the coming days.
“The easterly clouds are delaying onset of winter in the region. Once the clouds give way to cold westerly winds, temperature will drop around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius in a week’s time. This will further aggravate smog,” he said.
Ojha is a senior faculty in the department of geography, Allahabad University.
Meanwhile, arrival of several trains was delayed due to poor visibility.
The Prayag Raj train between New Delhi and Allahabad that was scheduled to arrive at 6.50am arrived 8 hours 45 minutes late at around 3.45 pm.
Similarly, the Shivganga Express was running 6 hours 30 minutes late, Rewanchal Express (9 hours and five minutes late), Moori Express (8 hours), Kalka Mail (4 hours) and the Seemanchal Express was running late by four hours.
According to respiratory and chest expert Dr Ashish Tandon, smog (an air pollutant) is detrimental for human health as it contains several chemicals including aerosols, tartaric acid and carbonic acid among others.
“These aerosols and other suspended particulate matter less than five micron in size reach the inner most part of human lungs termed Alveoli and affect normal breathing. Alveoli is the place in human lungs where oxygen is absorbed and carbon dioxide is released. Smog disrupts this procedure resulting in breathlessness followed by inflammation of lungs and acute bronchitis,” he said.