The AQI, which remained in the severe and severe plus category for almost a week, had improved on Thursday and Friday morning.
A thick blanket of toxic haze enveloped Delhi on Saturday morning as the air quality plunged into the ‘Severe’ category again, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) clocking 422 at 6 AM.
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Out of 39 monitoring stations across the national capital, 28 reported AQI levels in the ‘Severe’ category, above 400, with the remaining 11 stations reporting ‘Very Poor’ AQI status, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Wazirpur in Delhi recorded the highest AQI at 467, followed by Jahangirpuri where AQI clocked 463. Other areas including Alipur, Anand Vihar and Chandni Chowk reported AQI at 452, 458, and 440, respectively.
AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, 401 and 500 ‘severe’ and above 500 ‘severe plus’.
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AQI Plunges Again
The AQI, which remained in the severe and severe plus category for almost a week, had improved on Thursday and Friday morning. The AQI reading was in the ‘Very Poor’ category on both days.
However, it worsened again on Saturday morning with the overall AQI breaching the 400 mark, falling under the ‘Severe’ category.
Given the alarming pollution levels, the central commission also advised that offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) operate at 50 per cent capacity, with the remaining employees working from home.
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Stringent anti-pollution measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are currently imposed in the national capital. No trucks will be allowed into Delhi except for essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric).
All construction activities, including highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines, and other public projects, have been suspended.
As strict norms are in place, the government in the national capital could also implement odd-even vehicle rules, a traffic management system where vehicles are allowed on the roads based on the last digit of their registration number.
