Context:
- The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) failed to release the daily national air quality bulletin on Monday, which is usually issued at 4 p.m..
- The hourly AQI data on the CPCB mobile application was also unavailable for several hours.
- Delhi continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ air quality category, raising concerns over transparency and preparedness.
Key Highlights
- CPCB Data Gap & System Failure
- Daily bulletin not released at 4 p.m.; delayed until 10 p.m..
- Hourly data missing for long intervals—24-hour average AQI at 10 p.m.: 391 (very poor).
- CPCB provided no explanation for data unavailability.
- Pattern of Repeated ‘Glitches’
- Similar data lapses noted multiple times in the last month.
- Raises questions on:
- Monitoring capability
- Reliability of public AQI information
- CPCB’s adherence to protocol
- Air Quality Early Warning System Prediction
- Delhi’s air quality projected to remain ‘very poor’ for the next 6 days.
- Category definitions (CPCB):
- 51–100: satisfactory
- 101–200: moderate
- 201–300: poor
- 301–400: very poor
- 401–500: severe
- Causes of Winter Pollution in Delhi-NCR
- Meteorological factors:
- Low wind speed
- Temperature drop
- Human factors:
- Stubble burning (Oct–Nov)
- Firecrackers
- Vehicular emissions, dust, industrial pollutants (implied)
Relevant Prelims Points
Air Quality Index (AQI)
- Developed by CPCB under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP).
- Measures pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, O3.
- AQI categories associated with health impacts:
- Very poor (301–400): respiratory illness on prolonged exposure
- Severe (401–500): health emergency
Relevant Mains Points
Issues Highlighted by the Episode
- Institutional inefficiency: Data delays compromise public health advisories.
- Transparency concerns: AQI monitoring critical for informed decision-making.
- Governance gap: Technical ‘glitches’ recurring despite high pollution season.
Environmental Governance
- Need for:
- Robust real-time monitoring systems
- Faster inter-agency coordination
- Accountability mechanisms for CPCB and state pollution control bodies.
Health & Socio-economic Impact
- Higher disease burden: asthma, COPD, cardiovascular problems.
- Economic costs: lost productivity, increased healthcare expenditure.
- Vulnerable groups: children, elderly, outdoor workers.
Way Forward
- Expand and upgrade continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS).
- Strengthen CAQM to enforce compliance.
- Create public dashboards with redundant backup systems to avoid data gaps.
- Promote crop residue management and alternative livelihoods for farmers.
- Enforce stricter controls on construction, transport, and industrial emissions.
- Invest in long-term urban design solutions: green buffers, public transport, EV push.