Delhi’s air quality slipped to ‘Severe’ as the Central Pollution Control Board recorded an AQI over 400 in the national capital region on Saturday. GRAP III provisions have been imposed to improve air quality.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI in the national capital was recorded at 447 and it comes under the ‘severe' category. “Unfavourable meteorological conditions, including fog and haze, with low wind speed are the major causes behind this sudden spike in Delhi's daily average AQI,” the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, said.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, “The air quality index was in 'poor' and 'very poor' category in Delhi over the last few days. However, the air quality in Delhi has deteriorated to the 'severe' category with AQI plunging to 400 following a dip in temperature and a reduction in wind speed. Due to this, the CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) implemented restrictions under GRAP III once again," ANI reported. He added construction and demolition activities will be banned and the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles will not be allowed under GRAP III provisions.
Under Stage-III curbs, non-essential construction work, stone crushing, and mining have been banned in Delhi-NCR. BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers cannot be operated in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The IMD has predicted a moderate fog during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 23 degrees Celsius, it said. The relative humidity at 8.30am was 97 per cent.
An Air Quality Index (AQI) between zero and 50 is considered ‘good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 ‘very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 ‘severe-plus'.
-with PTI inputs.
