Rainfall brings relief from pollution in Punjab's Jalandhar

Jalandhar: A sudden change in the weather was witnessed in Jalandhar on Friday morning. There was a drop in temperature in the city around 7 am due to heavy rain accompanied by thunder.
People got some relief from pollution in the city after the intense rainfall.
The rain is expected to bring relief to the patients who are suffering from viral infection due to the stubble smoke and air pollution spread across the state.
In fact, in all the hospitals of the metropolis, people have become victims of viral cough, cold and fever.
Rain will be an important factor in bringing down cases of viral diseases in the district after November 15.
Earlier, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice SK Kaul directed the state governments to file affidavits stating steps taken by them to control air pollution. The court had directed the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to file the affidavit within a week.
The Punjab government has listed the steps that it has taken to improve air quality.
"Timely distribution of machines, utilisation of machines lying idle, efforts to ensure maximum utilisation of stubble in various industries, various deterrence efforts, campaigns to promote various in-situ and ex-situ methods and appeals to farmers have shown significant efforts and ensured improved air quality for everyone," the government said in a statement.
Air pollution levels can be high during the winter months for a number of reasons, including dust and vehicular pollution, dry-cold weather, stubble burning, burning crop residues after the harvest season and commuting.
Cold air is denser and moves slower than warm air, so it traps pollution and doesn't whisk it away. This means that air pollution in winter remains in place for much longer than during the summer.