Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to ‘very poor’ with an AQI of 349. The Centre has implemented stage two of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
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The air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 349, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).
Jahangirpuri area in the national capital was the worst affected as the AQI there was at 417, SAFAR data showed. The AQI at Anand Vihar was recorded at 402.
Jahangirpuri in Delhi most polluted (SAFAR)
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A thick layer of smog covered Delhi during the early hours, as seen in visuals from ITO shared by news agency ANI.
In response to the worsening air quality, the Centre has implemented stage two of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), introducing several restrictions.
Meanwhile, various market association traders reported a considerable increase in the sale of air purifiers, as people seek to support a healthier lifestyle, news agency PTI reported.
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DELHI ENVIRONMENT MINISTER STEPS IN
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote letters to the transport ministers of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, urging them to ensure no diesel buses from their states plied to the national capital in view of GRAP II restrictions in place.
Rai also announced a slew of measures, including enhanced water sprinkling to control road dust, the use of dust suppressants and the deployment of additional traffic personnel to ease traffic congestion, among others.
He also announced extra metro trips and, the deployment of more than 6,000 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) staff for road dust control.
