Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday hoped pollution will not affect the India-Bangladesh T20 in the city on November 3, emphasizing that his government has been taking steps such as the odd-even scheme to improve the air quality.
Kejriwal said matches have been played in this season in the national capital and the cricket match, scheduled to be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, should be played. The prevailing air pollution in Delhi has become a cause for concern. The air quality on Monday, a day after Diwali, plummeted to the “severe” category for the first time this season.
“I hope that pollution will not come in the way of cricket. To reduce pollution, we are also implementing the odd-even scheme from November 4,” Kejriwal told reporters at the Delhi Secretariat. “I have seen that in this season, matches have been played earlier as well. Match should be played in Delhi,” he added.
In December 2017, the Sri Lankan cricket team was left gasping for breath during a Test match at the same venue, then named Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, forcing most of their players to wear protective masks even though some fell ill.
“Look, we have factored in the post-Diwali air contamination in Delhi but considering the match is a week apart, we are confident that the players won’t encounter any health risks,” a senior BCCI official told PTI last week. The official, however, acknowledged there are practical concerns.
The rotation procedure ensured by the BCCI and the touring route for the visiting team urged the BCCI to record the first match of the tour in Delhi, and they now believe the city’s poor air condition doesn’t enhance an issue during the night-time game.
According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor, SAFAR, levels of PM2.5 — tiny particulate matter of diameter 2.5 or less than 2.5 microns that can enter deep into the lungs — reached as high as 735 at Delhi University on Monday.
Delhi’s overall air condition index attained at 463 at 11.30 am, according to the System of Air Condition and Weather Forecasting And Research.
The AQI at Pusa, Lodhi Road, Airport Terminal T3, Noida, Mathura Road, Ayanagar, IIT Delhi, Dhirpur, and Chandni Chowk was 480, 436, 460, 668, 413, 477, 483, 553 and 466, respectively.
