Set up special teams for respiratory cases, hospitals told

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday directed all its hospitals to constitute teams of specialists to tackle patients with respiratory ailments due to the severe air pollution, officials said.

The Delhi Health Department also asked the hospitals to monitor and report daily cases of respiratory ailments, including both outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) cases, and to promptly flag any unusual increase in the number of cases, it said. The daily reports are to be shared with Dr. Govind Mawari, Senior Scientist at the Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health (COEH). The advisory mandates that hospitals designate specialists to address respiratory diseases and ensure comprehensive care for affected patients.

Thick grey haze choked Delhi for the third straight day on Tuesday, with the pollution levels remaining alarmingly high at 488 in the 'severe plus' category. Calm winds and dropping temperatures made the dispersion of pollutants difficult. Cold air traps dust and smoke from stubble burning in neighbouring areas of Delhi. The city recorded its coldest night of the season so far on Monday with the mercury dropping to 12.3 degrees Celsius from 16.2 degrees Celsius the night before, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 488 at 9 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Out of the 32 monitoring stations in the capital, 31 recorded AQI levels exceeding 480. Two stations, Alipur and Sonia Vihar, maxed out at 500.

Amid alarmingly high pollution levels in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday urged the Centre to convene an emergency meeting to tackle the issue and said it is the moral responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.

Addressing a press conference, Rai said the Centre has not acted on the Delhi government's repeated requests to allow artificial rain in the national capital and he will again write to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

"We are consulting specialists to explore measures to reduce the smog. One of the solutions under consideration is artificial rain, which can help settle pollutants and clear the air," Rai said. Calling for a collective action, the minister said, “This is a medical emergency. The Centre must work with us to address this crisis and provide relief to the residents of Delhi and North India. If no alternative solutions are available, the Centre must prioritise artificial rain.” He also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and expedite the clearances needed for cloud seeding to induce artificial rain.

A decision on implementing work-from-home measures and the odd-even scheme will be taken soon to tackle the city's worsening air quality, Rai said on Tuesday.