Today Is National Pollution Control Day And Delhi Is Still Breathing 'Very Unhealthy' Air

Every year, December 2 is observed as the National Pollution Control Day. This day commemorates the people who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred on December 2, 1984.

The objective of National Pollution Control Day is to raise awareness about the increasing air pollution and educate people on how to bring it under control and manage industry disasters. It highlights and acquaints people with the ways to prevent the industrial pollution that is a result of human negligence.

_{Representative Image: Agencies}

Delhi NCR has been struggling to breathe for at least the past one month, because of massive air pollution. Though it is not caused actively by industries, there is no doubt that industrial pollution and illegal burning of industrial waste is a contributing factor - the primary being stubble burning in the NCR. There have been days of respite here and there but, mostly, Delhi has been a gas chamber.

_{Representative Image: BCCL}

Today is National Pollution Control Day and this is what Delhi is breathing. The image below was tweeted by AQI India on Twitter, and it gives the air quality indexes of all the major locations in Delhi. Most places have an AQI between 200-300 which, comes under the ¡®very unhealthy¡¯ category.

Even though the conditions are not as bad as they were a fortnight ago, they are not good either. People are are still breathing polluted air and we are not concerned enough about how it is going to affect us and our health in the future.

This is what Delhi¡¯s breathing on National Pollution Control Day. pic.twitter.com/0Nz32K3SQH

¡ª AQI India (@AQI_India) December 2, 2019

According to the National Health Portal of India, 7 million people around the world die due to air pollution. The portal also states that nine out of ten people, globally, do not have access to safe air. Air pollution is responsible for the damage of ozone layer which, in turn, contributes to global warming.

It is really concerning that even after Supreme Court's orders, state and centre are not doing enough to bring pollution levels under control in the capital city.