HYDERABAD: Pollution in Delhi and the country’s northern region has reached its worst level this year. The ‘severe levels’ of air pollution that has engulfed the national capital may also travel to southern states including Telangana, experts say.As per a chemical-pollutants dispersal model SILAM (System for Integrated Modeling of Atmospheric Composition) developed by the Finnish Meteorological Institutes, the plume of dust and smoke hanging over Delhi and its neighbouring regions would travel towards east India, move into the Bay of Bengal and increase pollution levels as far as Tamil Nadu.
Expressing concerns over the increasing levels of air pollution in the north, TSPCB and other experts have claimed that it is possible that the toxic smog and other pollutant matter in the NCR can make its way to down south. They claim that it is due to the northern winds, blowing from Himalayan range to the southern plains that can transport Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and other particulate matter to long distances.
During air pollution, the PM levels which are smaller than 2.5 micons cross 300 µg/m3 or PM10 (smaller than 10 microns) levels cross 500 µg/m3. These small particles embed themselves into the human body and cause severe health-related issues, experts say.
“Various geomorphological and weather conditions are responsible for travelling of air pollution which is called trans-border air pollution,’’ Sagar Dhara, an environmental engineer, who worked for United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said.“The wind pattern in South Asia is such that it travels from northern India and all along its way it carries the lightest particles which are most harmful. We can say air pollution from north is travelling to south and can reach Telangana,” he added.