Delhi’s air quality declines; the air quality index shows many areas are in a ‘several’ zone.

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: November 07, 2024

Summary: Delhi’s air quality is still in poor condition; some areas are at several levels.

On Thursday morning, Delhi was plagued by heavy pollution and consistently poor air quality. The AQI is expected to remain in the very poor category for the next six days, according to IITM's air quality warning system.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to allow worshippers to perform Chhath Puja along the Yamuna's banks, stating that the river was dangerous to enter due to extreme pollution.

The IMD issued a yellow notice for Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, and eight other districts. The alert will remain in effect till November 12 in a number of other regions.

As of 9 am on Thursday, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) was 367, which puts it in the "very poor" category. The city had yet another smog-covered morning. The India Meteorological Department predicts that the AQI will somewhat improve later in the day, falling to 349 by 4 p.m.

Delhi's surrounding areas continued to have AQI scores in the "poor" range, although they were still better than Delhi's. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released statistics showing that the AQI was 293 in Gurugram, Haryana, and 237 in Faridabad instead. The AQI was 265 in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and 281 in Ghaziabad, according to the statistics.

Air quality is divided into six groups by the AQI scale: 0–50 is considered "good," 51–100 is considered "satisfactory," 101–200 is considered "moderate," 201-300 is considered "poor," 301–400 is considered "very poor," and 401–500 is considered "severe."

According to the CPCB, AQI that falls into the "poor" category can make people's breathing difficult over time, while those that fall into the "very poor" category can make them sick.

A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) indicates that vehicle emissions are the main source of pollution in Delhi, surpassing even the burning of stubble, dust from the roads, and firecrackers.

As part of initiatives to address the rising levels of air pollution, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai declared that a campaign to prohibit the open burning of rubbish in the capital began on Wednesday.