Pollution Lockdown

                              

             India’s SC orders work from home over pollution in capital.  India’s Supreme Court told authorities on Monday to shut offices in the capital and nearby cities, allowing missions to work from home as officials seeks ways to reduce hazardous air pollution that led to the closure of schools.

                Its action came after city authorities in New Delhi, which has been battling a toxic haze since early November, took emergency measure on Saturday, ordering the closure of schools and building work for four days. We direct the center and states of the national capital region to impose work from home for meantime, said Chief Justice N.V Ramana, head of a penal of three Judges considering a petition by city resident.

                The court also sought urgent steps to rein in crop waste fires in the neighboring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, set by hundreds of thousands of farmers looking to clear fields for a new sowing season. We want action on the issue, said Justice Surya Kant. Although the court did not set as deadline for the action by authorities, it will next take up the pollutions issue on Wednesday.

                India’s effort to reduce the burning of crop waste, a major source of air pollution during winter have had little benefit despite its expenditure of billions of rupees over the past four years on a scale of 500 in Delhi on Monday, a sing of “very poor” conditions that can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.

                The capital experienced serve conditions late week as temperatures dropped and the index reached 499. The Supreme Court also ordered to halt vehicle traffic that is not essential, cut industrial pollution and climate dust. Contributors to the poor air quality in Delhi, often ranked the world’s most polluted capital, include coal fired plants outside the city as well as the burning of garbage in the open.

                The Delhi government pushed back on Monday against a call by India’s top court to declare a “Pollution Lockdown” as children stayed away from school for a week because of dangerous smog levels. Air quality in Delhi- among the world’s most polluted cities- regularly plummets to the “severe category” in winter with levels of harmful particulates at dangerous level. In a submission to the court on Monday, the city government said that such a step would only be meaningful if states surrounding Delhi are also included.

                One of the contributors to the smog that hangs over the city in winter is smoke from farmers burning their crop residue in neighboring states cities like Noida and Ghaziabad that are home to missions of people. Given Delhi’s compact size, a lock down would have limited impact on the air quality regime. Delhi government said.

                Now coming to the cities situation of Pakistan, Lahore is world’s No.1 most populated city in the world and Karachi is at 6^th number for continuous many days. The reason is same including coal fired plants, heavy transport, burning of garbage in open place etc. The situation is also same and worse in Pakistan.

                A similar order has been passed by the Lahore High Court, Lahore directing the authorities to reduce the staff to 50% carrying work from home and take serious steps against pollution. The situation of China is also worse and similar which is alarming situation. Fog and smog are big problems in South Asia region specially.

                Pakistan is also taking serious steps towards fog and smog in winter season which is causing big problems to its whole system which remains continue for whole winter season. Countries like Pakistan, India and China should take very serious steps against large scale of fog, smog and air pollution. Air quality index of these countries is showing worse position.