On the fifteenth day of uninterrupted ‘very poor’ AQI, Delhi recorded 355 this Wednesday morning, same as last Tuesday. The smog layer over the city grew densely, which led to a number of problems with visibility and pureness of the air. However, it is important to note that though the AQI was ‘Very Poor’, no of the monitoring stations recorded an AQI above 400 that is ‘Severe’.
#WATCH | Delhi: A layer of smog engulfs the area surrounding Rail Bhawan area as the Air Quality Index (AQI) across Delhi continues to be in ‘Very Poor’ category in several areas as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). pic.twitter.com/mPDBBIPiXG
— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2024
According to SAFAR-India at 8 am some of the top cities with AQI include Anand Vihar, Bawana and Jahangirpuri with AQI readings of 394, 386 and 384 respectively. The other examining stations included ITO with a reading of 372, Rohini with a reading of 372, and Punjabi Bagh with a reading of 377. The ‘very Poor’ AQI ranges from 301-400, ‘severe’ AQI range from 401-450 and any AQI above 450 is considered ‘severe plus’.
From the use of the Centre’s Decision Support System for Air Quality Management it was seen that vehicle emissions are on track to become the main cause of pollution in the following days. The CPCB circled PM10 as a significant polluter in the air it examined for pollution in the Indian capital. PM10 which is dust, vehicle emissions, industrial hazards etc., can cause adverse health effects by reaching deep into the lungs and has long term effects such as respiratory diseases and heart and lung diseases.
Delhi based independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) had predicted that the AQI will remain around 350 for the next two days. But they expect things to get better: the AQI could fall below 300 as of November 19 – a change from ‘very unhealthy,’ and categorizing the air quality as just ‘poor’ for the city’s residents.
