Dry spell, poor air quality to persist over a week: MeT

Srinagar, Dec 11: The air quality in Kashmir will continue to be a concern due to the ongoing dry spell, expected to continue for more than a week, the Meteorological Department (MeT) said on Thursday.

The suspended particulate matter has formed a thick layer of smog due to the chill and lack of dispersion in the air.

Director Meteorological Centre Srinagar, Mukhtar Ahmad, said the rainfall had been sparse since October.

He said a feeble Western Disturbance (WD) was approaching Kashmir between 13 and 14 December, and a few more weak WDs around December 17 and the third week of December. “However, no major WD is in sight, so the dry weather will continue to a large extent,” Ahmad said.

He said the minimum temperature would see a slight rise due to cloud cover from December 13 onwards. Ahmad said the smog and poor air quality would continue, and no drastic respite is in sight.

“The WDs will cause a little dispersion and settling, but nothing major for improvement of air quality till we have a wet spell,” he said.

“In Kashmir, we have had only 50 percent of the rainfall we would normally expect,” Ahmad said.

According to official data, J&K has seen an overall rainfall deficit of over 80 percent in November.

The PM10 and PM2.5 levels in Kashmir, especially the central part, have been of concern.

A thick layer of smog continues to engulf the city, relentless for the third week now.

Temperature inversions and the geography of Kashmir creates conditions for trapping of particulate matter in a layer close to the ground here, while vehicular pollution and other sources of particulate keep the cauldron filling.

Doctors have warned the sensitive groups of exacerbated symptoms of asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Many global studies have amply shown how pollution causes death and disease in people of Kashmir and in other parts of the World.

Pulmonologists estimate that around 10,000 deaths in J&K are attributable to air pollution.

These deaths take place due to respiratory and cardiovascular ailments, with air pollution being the major risk factor.

Fine particles infiltrate lungs and bloodstreams, triggering asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and even strokes.

Kashmir has the highest burden of COPD in India.

According to Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016, J&K ranks among the highest in crude COPD prevalence.