‘AIR QUALITY VERY POOR IN INDIAN CAPITAL CITY’

The air quality in Indian capital city New Delhi and outskirts of national capital region (NCR) on Saturday turned very poor, officials said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city remained in the very poor category at 368.

“The AQI in Delhi at 3:00pm today was recorded at 368,” data released by CPCB said. “The prominent pollutant is PM 2.5 and air quality is in the category of very poor.”

It is an improvement in comparison to the severe level category prevalent in the city over the past few days.

Authorities had to close schools in Delhi for two days in the wake of pollution hovering around “emergency levels.”

Health officials say very poor air quality causes respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.

The car rationing scheme that was implemented by the local government in the Indian capital to minimise pollution levels ended on Friday evening.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said last Friday there was no immediate extension of the plan and a final decision will be taken on Monday. Earlier, he said the oddeven formula could be extended, if the need arose.

The car rationing scheme known as “Odd-Even” was started on Nov. 4 to curb alarming levels of air pollution in the capital. Kejriwal blamed stubble burning by farmers in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab for the recurrence of smog in Delhi. Air pollution continues to worsen in New Delhi and it gets aggravated during the winter months. Ahead of winter, farmers burn agricultural waste to clear cropland, which experts say contributes to the choking of already polluted air.