Delhi air quality worsens ahead of Diwali, many areas in 'severe' category

The AQI in areas like Anand Vihar and Jahangirpuri crossed the 400 mark on Wednesday morning.

In Short

• Smog reduces visibility in national capital
• GRAP Stage II imposed to curb pollution
• Delhi residents urged to use public transport, avoid dust-generating activities

The air quality continued to deteriorate in Delhi on Wednesday as the AQI recorded at 7 am was 354, falling in the 'very poor' category. In some areas of the national capital, like Anand Vihar and Jahangirpuri, the air quality plummeted to the 'severe' category, with an AQI in the range of 400.

Visuals surfaced online, showing a thick layer of smog enveloping the national capital, reducing visibility ahead. The air quality has continued to worsen over the last few days and is expected to deteriorate in the coming days, ahead of Diwali.

At the time of writing, the air quality in several areas of Delhi was in the 'severe' category. As per Central Pollution Control Board data, Jahangirpuri and Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 417 and 402 respectively.

Alipur'a AQI was 372, Najafgarh at 342, RK Puram at 352, Shadipur at 322, Rohini at 388, Sirifort at 334 and Pusa at 305.

On the other hand, the air quality of Ashok Vihar recorded AQI at 359, Dwarka-Sector 8 at 367, Bawana at 391, NSIT Dwarka at 379, Narela at 357Okhla Phase 2 at 346, Patparganj at 373 and Nehru Nagar at 365 - all in the 'very poor' category at the time pf publishing this report.

Meanwhile, the poor air quality of the national capital prompted authorities to impose the Graded Response Action Plan Stage II. As a result, the use of coal and firewood in hotels, restaurants, and diesel and generators has been banned in the city.

Mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads will also be carried out on a daily basis, and dust control measures will be enforced at construction and demolition sites.

Further, traffic personnel will be deployed at congestion points, vehicle parking fees will be increased to discourage private transport and additional bus and metro services will be started.

Residents of Delhi have been urged to use public transport. They also have been asked to regularly replace air filters at recommended intervals in their automobiles, and avoid dust-generating construction activities from October to January.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as 'good,' 51 to 100 as 'satisfactory,' 101 to 200 as 'moderate,' 201 to 300 as 'poor,' 301 to 400 as 'very poor,' and 401 to 500 as 'severe'.