Delhi air quality: Mundka, Wazirpur, Alipur all recorded “severe” air pollution levels, authorities said (file)
New Delhi:
Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Saturday with the Air Quality Index (AQI) registering at 347.
The air quality monitor of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Weather and Air Quality Research and Forecast System (SAFAR), said that some locations entered a “severe” zone but that it will be short-lived since it is expected that the winds increase slightly.
Some areas such as Mundka, Wazirpur and Alipur saw “severe” levels of air pollution, authorities said.
He said air quality could improve on October 26.
“Delhi’s General Air Quality Index (AQI) is in the very bad category with few Delhi locations entering the higher zone, but that will be short-lived. This is mainly due to the off-peak winds. Extremely calm local acreage that prevailed yesterday will likely increase slightly and could recover further on October 26, “SAFAR said.
He also said that the AQI is expected to remain in the “very poor” category but without further deterioration.
“A slow improvement in the current condition is expected on October 26, which will lead to a very poor mid-range,” he said.
SAFAR’s synergistic stubble fire counts stood at 1,292 on Friday and its share of Delhi’s pollution was nine percent.
“The wind direction of the boundary layer is westward and the wind speed is low. Therefore, the transport of pollutants to the Delhi region will remain low. The SAFAR model estimate of the rate of stubble burning in PM2.5 it is 9 percent for today, “he said.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Friday was 366 while the day before it was 302.
An 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” and 401 and 500 “severe”.
A significant increase in the stubble fire count around Haryana, Punjab and neighboring regions was seen on Thursday, standing at 1,213.
Ten monitoring stations in Delhi entered the “severe” zone on Friday, according to the AQI SAMEER mobile monitoring app, developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
PM 2.5 are tiny particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream. Wednesday’s stubble fire count was 1,428.
The 24-hour average Delhi AQI was recorded at 256 on Wednesday, 223 on Tuesday, and 244 the day before. The figures are based on data collected from 36 monitoring stations in the city.
The Delhi government has launched its anti-pollution campaign “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” for which it has deployed 2,500 environmental constables at 100 traffic lights across the city to raise awareness and curb vehicular pollution.
The campaign will be implemented in the 70 constituencies of the assembly from October 26 and will continue until November 15 from 8 am to 8 pm. It is an awareness campaign by the Delhi government and no person will receive challans, the government said.
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