IND vs BAN | Post-Diwali air pollution major concern ahead of 1st T20I in Delhi
Excessive air pollution due to Diwali might affect the T20I between India and Bangladesh in Delhi. Officials have stopped stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, which could have worsened the situation, and expect the situation to be under control as the match is scheduled a week after Diwali.
India is scheduled to play the first T20I of the series against Bangladesh in Delhi on November 3 but the festival of lights might play spoilsport in it. The air quality of the capital is already at ‘very poor’ level according to Air Quality Index (AQI) and with Diwali, it is supposed to become even worse.
If the problem prevails, we might very well see the repetition of what happened during the Test match against Sri Lanka in Kotla back in December 2017where the players felt uneasy on the field which led to the stoppage in play. Play resumed and players wore masks but still, some fell sick. The repetition of such an event would only bring more questions on the Kotla.
The senior officials at BCCI and DDCA, although worried, are hoping that the situation will be under control as the match scheduled a week after Diwali.
”Look, we have factored in the post-Diwali air pollution in Delhi but since the match is a week away, we are hopeful that the players won't face any health hazards," Times Now quoted a senior BCCI official saying so to PTI.
Although the BCCI is following a rotation policy, many questioned the inclusion of Kotla considering the current and past conditions. Talking about it the official said that the travel itinerary is the reason they were forced to include Kotla in the tour.
"The travel itinerary has been chalked in such a manner that Bangladesh will directly arrive in Delhi and exit the country from Kolkata. We wanted to make the travelling convenient that it starts from North, goes to West (Nagpur, Rajkot, Indore) and finishes in the east (Kolkata)," the official said.
There are reports that the Bangladesh players might be asked to carry masks with them in case any unwanted situations arise. The Environment secretary C K Mishra has informed that the central government has issued directives, restricting farmers from burning stubble in the states of Punjab and Haryana which could have worsened the situation much more.
"We have told Punjab and Haryana to completely stop stubble burning at least for the next few critical days. Next three weeks, especially days between October 26 to November 4, are critical and we are taking care.”
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