Many reasons have been cited for the poor air quality in the national capital, but a significant part of the blame goes to the destruction wrought upon the Aravallis for short-sighted gains. Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary Asia and an avid environmentalist, said a misguided idea of development has laid waste to the Aravallis – sometimes called the green lungs of the Capital – causing the air quality to deteriorate. Vehicles, industries and power plants are a major source of pollution in the northern belt of India, which faces an air pollution crisis almost every winter. The Aravallis ridge in the national capital helps convert carbon dioxide to life-sustaining oxygen, playing an important role in trapping pollutants and regulating the temperature. The Aravalli Utsav began at the India Habitat Centre (IHC) in New Delhi on October 28, and will run till November 20.

Source: Hindustan Times November 10, 2017 09:00 UTC