नवीनतम
Delhi-NCR: Several places hit 'severe' AQI levels
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Delhi and parts of National Capital Region (NCR) continue to grapple with severe levels of toxic air pollution, with no immediate relief in sight. Pollution levels persist above safe limits in many parts of the region.
On Saturday (November 22), Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 447 at 7 AM, categorising the air as 'Severe.' By 10 AM, the AQI decreased to 361, which is considered 'Very Poor'.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), several stations continued to report ‘Severe’ pollution levels. These included Anand Vihar (416), Wazirpur (427), Jahangirpuri (417), Rohini (410), Mundka (407) and Bawana (414). Most other AQI monitoring stations remained in the ‘Very Poor’ category.
AQI In National Capital Region
Neighbouring NCR cities also recorded continuously poor air quality. At 10 AM, Greater Noida registered an AQI of 346 (Very Poor), inching close to the ‘Severe’ category. Noida followed with 388 and Meerut with 368, both in the ‘Very Poor’ range, while Faridabad (239) and Gurugram (280) fell under the ‘Poor’ category.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System of Ministry of Earth Sciences, air quality is likely to deteriorate further, slipping into the ‘Severe’ category and remaining in the ‘Very Poor’ to ‘Severe’ range over the next few days.
PM2.5 And PM10 Levels
The concentration of PM2.5, which is the most harmful fine particulate pollutant, rose to 312 micrograms per cubic metre at 7 AM, while PM10 levels reached 422 micrograms per cubic metre.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the current levels of PM2.5 and PM10 far exceed the 24-hour safe limits. WHO guidelines recommend PM2.5 below 15 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 below 45 micrograms per cubic metre. The current figures are more than 20 times above these safe thresholds.
As per CPCB, an AQI between 0–50 is 'good', 51–100 'satisfactory', 101–200 'moderate', 201–300 'poor', 301–400 'very poor' and 401–500 'severe'.
What Is Making Delhi-NCR So Polluted?
Multiple factors contribute to Delhi-NCR's hazardous air pollution levels. Stubble burning is one contributor, accounting for 2.8 percent, according to the Decision Support System of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. Vehicular emissions accounted for 17.3 per cent of Delhi’s pollution on Thursday (November 20), the data said.
For Friday (November 21), these parameters were projected to comprise 16.2 percent and 1.8 percent of the capital's pollutants, respectively.
According to satellite imagery, 16 farm fires were detected in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and 115 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday (November 19).
What Supreme Court Said
According to Justice Sachin Datta, who was hearing a plea filed by students, the authorities were failing to protect children's health and must change the annual sports calendar so that no outdoor events are held during these toxic months. Additionally, the Supreme Court has directed that construction workers in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan who have been out of work since the implementation of GRAP-3 must be provided a subsistence allowance.
