New Delhi: The national capital’s overall air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, with the city recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 377 at 8 a.m. A thick layer of smog has continued to blanket several parts of the city as winter gradually sets in across Delhi-NCR, and residents start experiencing chilly weather.
PM2.5 remained the prominent pollutant in Delhi. The air quality situation was particularly alarming in several areas, with Punjabi Bagh and Jahangirpuri recording AQI readings of 456 and 450, respectively, placing them in the ‘severe’ category.
Mundka and the area around IIT Delhi also recorded high AQI levels of 436 and 438, respectively. Of Delhi’s 59 air quality monitoring stations, 20 reported ‘severe’ air quality, while 33 others remained in the ‘very poor’ category. The remaining stations recorded ‘poor’ air quality.
The deterioration in air quality comes after Delhi was brought under Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Monday, November 2, when its 24-hour average AQI stood at 324, entering the ‘very poor’ category for the first time this season.
Among the monitoring stations, Tikri Kalan recorded an AQI of 340, NSUT Jaffarpur 383, Najafgarh 379, Chhawla 302, NSIT Dwarka 346, Dwarka Sector 8 400, IGI Airport (T3) 360, Nangloi 361, Karala 308, Bawana 411, Burari 360, Rohini 436, North Campus, Delhi University, 416, RK Puram 428, Siri Fort 419, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 411, Sonia Vihar 424, Delhi Technological University (DTU) 435, Vivek Vihar 435, Nehru Nagar 339, Vasundhara Enclave 333 and Commonwealth Sports Complex 390.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the city’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category until at least Friday, November 6.
With Diwali approaching, the deteriorating air quality across Delhi and the National Capital Region has prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to implement Stage II restrictions under GRAP across the entire NCR with immediate effect.
Earlier, Stage I of GRAP was imposed on October 21, when Delhi’s AQI stood at 244. The measures under Stage I include promoting public transport, checking Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, prohibiting diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years, and restricting the use of coal and firewood at roadside eateries and commercial tandoors. The measures also include restrictions on the use of diesel generator sets.
(IANS)
