Delhi and NCR remained toxic for its residents as a heavy blanket of smog blanketed the capital, with Delhi’s AQI slipping to the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday evening.
While Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) improved slightly over the past two days and was recorded at 278 on Thursday morning, pollution levels fell to the “very bad” category in the evening, bringing Delhi back into the red zone.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI), reported at 4 pm every day, was 311, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CPCB’s Sameer application, 32 out of 38 AQI monitoring stations in Delhi showed readings above 300, which falls under the “very poor” category.
In the morning, a layer of smog settled over various parts of the city. Kartavya Path experienced persistent smog in the air while ITO also reported persistent smog. Additionally, a thick layer of smog was observed in the Dhaula Kuan area of the state capital.
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On Wednesday, Delhi’s AQI saw some improvement with overall air quality of 202 falling in the ‘poor’ category as favorable wind conditions helped disperse pollutants.
Delhi’s AQI was 291 on Tuesday and 309 on Monday, CPCB data showed.
New Delhi, Oct 30 (ANI): A thick layer of smog engulfs Kartavya road
Center predicts more toxic days in Delhi
Hindustan Times reported that Delhi’s AQI is expected to remain in the “very poor” category for the next six days, indicating that residents will continue to face poor air quality in the near future, according to the centre’s data.
The Meteorological Department’s forecast for November 6 predicted slower winds in Delhi, reaching up to 15 kmph from the northwest direction in the afternoon and then slowing down to below 10 kmph during the evening and night.
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Meanwhile, the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Forecasting estimated that stubble burning accounted for 21.5% of PM2.5 levels in Delhi on Thursday. It is expected to rise to 36.9% on Friday and 32.4% on Saturday, compared to just 1.2% on Wednesday.
After stubble burning, transport is predicted to be the second largest contributor, at 16.2% on Thursday, 11.2% on Friday and 12.3% on Saturday.
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Delhi air crisis
Since Diwali, the air quality in the national capital has been fluctuating between the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories, occasionally slipping into the ‘hot’ zone.
Amid growing chatter about the amount of toxic air Delhi breathes and its dire consequences, doctors have warned of an alarming number of diseases that have increased due to pollution.
Many people are currently suffering from various respiratory conditions including throat irritation, runny nose, runny nose, itchy eyes and severe chest congestion, flooding OPDs in hospitals, doctors said.
Some individuals have also experienced an exacerbation of symptoms related to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD), and other chronic lung or heart diseases.
According to the AQI categorization, a value between 0-50 is considered “good”, 51-100 as “satisfactory”, 101-200 as “moderate”, 201-300 as “poor”, 301-400 as “very poor” and 401-500.
