We have been raising concerns about the deteriorating quality of air in the country, more so in the Northern part but the entire country is actually facing the bigger problem. The rising smog and lowering visibility is not enough proof of how badly the environment is getting polluted. But a newly released image from the space marks in red the danger we are caught in. A European satellite- Sentinel-5P was launched in October 2017 to keep a check on the air quality worldwide. The data revealed in a picture shows how we need to seriously act upon and act fast. The air over the country and some South Asian countries have a lot of formaldehyde - a colourless gas.

Formaldehyde is actually a gas emitted by vegetation but the amount that we have in our air is mainly due to pollution. Talking about it Isabelle De Smedt from the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy was quoted, "It depends on the region but 50-80% of the signal is from some biogenic origin. But above that, you have pollution and fire. And the fire can be from coal burning or wildfires, but in India, yes, you have a lot of agricultural fires." The use of wood as a fuel and burning of coal practised more in the rural areas equally contributes a lot to the pollution.

Take a look at the entire map showing Formaldehyde concentrations:

The presence of formaldehyde cannot be taken lightly as it a severe respiratory irritant. The latest picture that has been released shows the data for just four months. But the red part shows how parts, where there is a lot of population as well as vegetation, is creating the maximum damage to air quality. Rajasthan and some Western parts of India are relatively better as there is less vegetation due to the desert expanse.

The satellite's Tropomi instrument is tuned to detect the presence of trace gases along with other components like formaldehyde, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide (SO₂), methane, carbon monoxide (CO) and aerosols (small droplets and particles). The picture is a bitter reminder of the pollution that we are responsible for and it can take a huge toll on our health.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2018 03:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).