Experts elated over ‘healing’ of ozone layer

LUCKNOW: A good news was lost in the din of crackers this Diwali. At a time when major cities in North India were battling smog, a reputed panel of scientists has found that there is a consistent improvement in the ozone layer hole.

“Quadrennial review by the scientific assessment panel of the Montreal Protocol has confirmed a decrease in the ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere and recovery ithe stratospheric ozone,” informed environmentalist VK Joshi, while welcoming the findings.

“Depletion in ozone layer took place both due to natural (60 percent) and man-made (40 percent) factors. Although industrialisation by developed countries is a major contributor, it is duty of all of us to do our bit to reduce pollution. We need to discipline ourselves,” said Joshi.

As per the quadrennial review, the ozone layer in part of the stratosphere has recovered at a rate of 1-3 percent per decade since 2000.

At this rate, the northern hemisphere and mid-latitude

› Depletion in ozone layer took place both due to natural (60 percent) and manmade (40 percent) factors.

VK JOSHI, environmentalist

ozone will heal completely by 2030. This will be followed by southern hemisphere in 2050 and polar regions by 2060.

All eyes will now be set on Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

A senior official of the UN environment said the Kigali amendment calls for slashing of future use of powerful climate warming gases in refrigerators and air-conditioners.

“This amendment would be legally binding on all the nations from January 1, 2019. India had welcomed the amendment and necessary steps were being initiated to ratify the agreement,” said the officer.

The scientific assessment panel has observed that the Kigali amendment could lead to avoiding of 0.5 percent of global warming this century.