Delhi’s air quality inches closer to ‘ very poor’ level
NEIGHBOURS FARE WORSE Air quality index in other NCR cities, including Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, was at very poor level
NEWDELHI: Air quality in the capital inched closer to ‘very poor’ levels on Tuesday, a day when it plummeted to ‘ very poor’ in neighbouring NCR towns.
Delhi’s air quality index (AQI), as recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), was 291 Tuesday, just 10 digits away from the ‘very poor’ level of 301. Other NCR cities, including Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, recorded AQI values above 300 Tuesday.
With the air feeling more acrid by the day, the graded response action plan (Grap) kicked in on Monday in Delhi-ncr with the closure of a thermal power plant in Delhi as well as strict enforcement of measures such as sprinkling water on roads and halting constructions, among others.
The Grap comes into effect to combat ‘poor’, ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ air. With wind speed dropping to zero and taking into account factors such as stubble burning and local emissions, pollution control officials said the air quality is likely to nosedive further in the coming days.
In Delhi, particulate matter (PM)10 level is triple the safe limit at 338.9 micrograms per cubic metre. The safe limit for PM10 is 100 micrograms per cubic metres. This is one of the most prominent pollutants in Delhi-ncr and is mainly generated by road dust.
Currently, sprinkling of water and mechanised sweeping are being carried out by municipal agencies to deal with road dust.
Thirteen of the 36 monitoring stations in Delhi reported ‘very poor’ levels of air quality. Of these, Anand Vihar and Mundka recorded AQI of 387, at the threshold of the ‘severe’ (400) reading.
Enhancing parking fee by three to four times, banning use of diesel generator sets, stopping use of coal/firewood in restaurants/hotels and augmenting public transport are measures listed under Grap during ‘very poor’ levels of air quality.
As per the India Meteorological Department, wind conditions are going to remain calm over the coming day, which may hamper the air quality further.
“There is a western disturbance coming in from October 16 which will bring thundery development. It will also trigger a rise in maximum and minimum temperature. However, after October 18, the wind conditions will again calm down,” an IMD official said.