According to an article published in The Times Of India, a lot of polluted winds blowing from central, east, and north India during this massive winter season are leading to higher emissions of greenhouse gas. According to a study conducted by the IITM, Methane gas is filling up Pune City, leading to pollution in the atmosphere.
According to Supriyo Chakraborty who happens to be a former scientist and faculty of IITM, the wind that is traveling towards Pune city is blowing from central and north India, carrying harmful gases ad pollutants that belong to those regions. Other than the methane emissions in Pune, the polluted air across these regions is adding up to more pollution in Pune.
The increase in the emission of the Methane load in Pune can lead to more problems in the days to come if proper action is not taken timely, said Mr. Chakraborty. Due to this, winter air and emission of Methane, there had been an increase by five hundred parts at each billion from the year 2018 till 2020 in the atmosphere of Pune.
Mr. Chakrabarty has further stated that during the past season of monsoons, there was a minimum level of Methane in the atmosphere of Pune as has been recorded. And this same has got expanded to the maximum levels after the monsoon and as winter started to settle in. An analysis of the parameters of the circulation of the winds has been conducted too. The report states that the polluted air belonging to central, northern, and eastern India has entered the atmosphere of Pune. These gases and pollutants over time have increased the level of Methane in Pune. Co2 or the Green House carbon dioxide gas has different implications and dynamics at different levels.
This is why there has been a drop in the concentration levels of CO2 as well during the past season of Monsoons across Pune. It happened due to the levels of greenery and plantations across the different sectors in Pune. It helped in keeping a balance. Because plants tend to absorb CO2, so, there has been less discharge in the atmosphere in the CO2 levels. But this theory does not apply where Methane gas is concerned. This is the reason why the current level of wind plays a very important role. In some months it makes the level of Methane higher and in some months it keeps the levels lower. Winter happens to be the season when there is a higher level of Methane in the atmosphere leading to the chaos of toxicity levels in the atmosphere.
According to Mr. Chakraborty, during the monsoons, the pattern of the wind is south-westerly, which originates from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Being cleaner, these winds do not carry pollution to the atmosphere of Pune as it happens during winters.
Yogesh Tiwari who also happens to be a senior scientist at IITM says the same thing and adds that if the levels of Methane keep increasing in the atmosphere in Pune then along with the climate the health of the people in Pune is going to get affected too. Tiwari also added that Methane is so much more harmful than CO2 that it leads to greater potential for global warming as well.