The air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday morning as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 231 at 8 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Yesterday, the city’s AQI was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category, with the AQI even touching 306 in some areas.
Visuals from Dhaula Kuan.
Delhi’s air quality turned “very poor” on Sunday for the first time since May, mainly due to a drop in temperature and wind speed, which allowed pollutants to accumulate.
Meanwhile, Mumbai’s air quality was recorded in the ‘moderate’ category on Tuesday with the AQI at 180. The probable reason for pollution in the financial capital is huge construction activity with around 6,000 ongoing construction projects.
According to the AQI scale, the air quality checks between 0 and 50 are considered “good”, 51 and 100 are “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 are “moderate”, 201 and 300 are “poor”, 301 and 400 are “very poor”, and 401 and 450 are “severe” and “severe” when AQI exceeds 450.
DELHI ENVIRONMENT MINISTER HOLDS MEET
Amid rising AQI in Delhi-NCR, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday chaired a meeting with all concerned department’s officials at the Delhi Secretariat. He discussed actions being taken to mitigate air pollution in the city.
“There are 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi. Today, 8 other points, including Shadipur, Mandir Marg, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar, and Moti Bagh witnessed AQI levels above 300 for local reasons. Special teams will be deputed here to identify and inspect local sources of pollution there,” Gopal Rai said.
Besides 13 existing air pollution hotspots in Delhi, monitoring teams to be deployed at 8 more places where AQI breached 300-mark, he added.
With the national capital’s air quality plummeting to ‘very poor’, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced on Monday that the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign will start from Thursday, October 26.
The campaign aims to reduce air pollution in the city by encouraging people to turn off their engines when waiting at red lights.
As per the GRAP, stage-II is invoked across the NCR region if the average AQI either touches or is expected to touch an index value of 301.