On the day of Diwali, the air of Delhi and NCR once again turned poisonous. The capital woke up to a layer of thick smoke and smog on the festival morning after the Supreme Court granted limited permission to green crackers after many years.
Air quality in Delhi ‘very poor’
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), out of 38 sensors installed in Delhi, 31 recorded the air as ‘very poor’ and three sensors recorded the air at ‘severe’ level. The Air Quality Index (AQI) reached above 300 in most areas. Till noon, Delhi’s average AQI was 334, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. Areas in the ‘severe’ category include – Anand Vihar. (AQI 402), Wazirpur (AQI 423) Ashok Vihar (AQI 414).
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had activated Stage-II of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) on Sunday itself as AQI crossed 300. According to the post on social media handle @CAQM_Official, the 24-hour average AQI till 4 pm today remains at ‘very poor’ level. According to experts, the wind condition may worsen in the coming two days on October 21 and 22.
Firecrackers within the limit set by Supreme Court, yet pollution increases
This time the Supreme Court had allowed the sale and use of only green firecrackers, and that too on October 19 and 20, from 6 to 7 in the morning and from 8 to 10 in the night.
What does AQI mean?
According to government standards, Air Quality Index (AQI) is divided into six categories. If AQI is between 0 to 50 then the air is considered ‘good’. If it is between 51 to 100, it is considered ‘satisfactory’, while between 101 to 200 is considered ‘moderate’. A level of 201 to 300 is considered ‘poor’, 301 to 400 is considered ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 is considered ‘severe’.
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