New Delhi on Monday recorded 'very poor' overall air quality owing to unfavourable meteorological and climatic conditions. The Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 309 on Monday morning up from 302 on Sunday afternoon, according to latest data released by SAFAR-India.
India Meteorological Department officals said the air quality in Delhi-NCR will continue under "very poor" category the coming days due to a drop in temperature and emissions from paddy straw burning. Read about new pollution hotspots in Delhi HERE.
The overall air quality in the National Capital deteriorated from the 'poor' category to the 'very poor' category, with the Air Quality Index recorded at 302 on Sunday afternoon, as per data from SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) - India. On Sunday morning, the overall air quality was recorded in the 'poor' category with an AQI of 266 in the 'poor' category while on Saturday it was in the 'moderate' category at 173.
According to the AQI scale, the air quality of 0-50 is "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor" and 401-450 "severe."
On Sunday morning, many localities in the national capital began to breach the 'very poor' category with New Moti Bagh recording up to an AQI of 360 and Anand Vihar 345, according to SAFAR-India. The air quality around Delhi University hit 330 while IGI Terminal T3 and Dwarka Sector-8 saw the index touching 313 and the ITO area registered an AQI of 309.
Localities recorded in the 'poor' category include Kartavya Path (India Gate) at 266. Gurugram was in the moderate category with an AQI of 152. Noida, which was in the 'poor' category with an AQI of 290 on Sunday, breached the 'very poor' level on Monday morning with an AQI of 322, as per SAFAR-India data.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Faridabad recorded an AQI of 322 (very poor) and Ghaziabad 246 (poor) on Sunday.
Amid deteriorating air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management sub-committee on has invoked the 11-point action plan as per Stage-II of revised the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire NCR, reported ANI. These include banning diesel generators and increasing the public parking fees to curb use of private vehicles.
"People should use public transport and minimize the use of personal vehicles, use technology, and take less congested routes even if slightly longer, and regularly replace air filters at recommended intervals in their automobiles. Avoid dust-generating construction activities during the months from October to January. Avoid open burning of solid waste and biomass," read a government release issued by the Ministry of Environment.
The ministry stated that farm fires contributed to 34 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on November 3, 2022, and 48 per cent on November 7, 2021.
-- with agency inputs