Delhi: City chokes on toxic smog, AQI reaches 435
Delhi-NCR continued to reel under severe pollution on Sunday morning. The highest AQI in the city was recorded at Bawana, which was 435. Most other monitoring station recorded AQI either above 400 or 300. AQI was recorded as 390, in RK Puram it was 397, at ITO it was 384 and Punjabi Bagh 411. The government has said that all measures under GRAP-4 would be implemented in the region, despite GRAP-3 being in force.
New Delhi: Toxic smog enveloped Delhi-NCR on Sunday morning. The Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 7 am this morning was 381. The poor air quality continues in Delhi-NCR despite Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-IV being in effect, said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI was 359 on Saturday morning, but it dropped further on Sunday.
Highest pollution recorded in Bawana
According to the data released by CPCB, the Bawana air monitoring station recorded the highest AQI at 435, while it was 313 in Dwarka. In Anand Vihar the air quality was recorded as "very poor", with the AQI being 459.
In north Delhi's Chandni Chowk the AQI was recorded as 390, in RK Puram it was 397, at ITO it was 384 and Punjabi Bagh 411. Other measuring stations in Patparganj, Pusa and Dwarka Sector-8 were all above 300. In Patparganj it was 401, Pusa 360 and Dwarka Sector 8, 386.
India Gate recorded a poor AQI of 388 and the entire area, including Kartavya Path was engulfed in a thick layer of smog. At 1 in the afternoon, the AQI in Delhi was at 349. This was in the hazardous or 'very poor' category.
Similar conditions prevailed in neighbouring countries, with AQI being 426. Noida had an AQI of 390, while Greater Noida was only a bit better at 380. Both the satellite towns however were in the 'very poor' zone.
AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 as 'very poor' and above 400 is 'severe'.
Following the increasing pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the CPCB directed that measures listed under GRAP-4 would now be imposed in the region, despite GRAP -3 being in force. Under the new plan, state government offices and those that come under GNCTD would have the power to decide whether offices would operate with 50% capacity and the rest of the employees can work from home.
The Opposition Aam Aadmi Party meanwhile, accused the ruling BJP government of completely neglecting the pollution crisis in the national capital.Times of India quoted, party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj as saying that the Delhi government had manipulated data and this has escalated the public health emergency in the city. He further accused the government of fabricating AQI readings and allowing construction work to continue, despite the falling air quality.