Experts defend SL cricketers for wearing masks

NEW DELHI: The environmentalists hit back to the authorities as the Sri Lankan players played wearing masks.

The experts asserted that the air quality is not suitable for long exposures it might affect the health of the players.

Environmentalists showed that according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Website for Pollution levels at Major Dhyan Chand stadium (nearly 3-km aerial distance from Firoz Shah Kotla Stadium, where India Vs Sri Lanka Cricket match (3rd Test) is ongoing) at 5.50 PM on December 3, depicts PM2.5 levels at 337 µg/m3 which are hazardous levels of pollution.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), this air quality falls in emergency levels of pollution and CPCB at such pollution levels advice that, “It may cause respiratory effects even on healthy people and seri- ous health impacts on people with lung/heart diseases. The health impacts may be experienced even during light physical activities.”

Lashing out at the authorities, Sunil Dahiya, senior campaigner of Greenpeace India said, “Being sensitive to human health we should at least foresee approaching pollution episodes using emission inventory and meteorological data as it’s done in other geographies including China and take corrective measures such as the implementation of GRAP as precautionary steps rather than reactionary.”

He added, “It is a sad situation that we are facing international shame for hosting games at such polluted places. The solution to this is not in shifting or cancelling matches, but in cleaning up the air with systematic, coordinated and comprehensive actions using GRAP and more comprehensive clean air action plan across India.”