A day after celebrating Diwali in the capital, Delhi woke up to toxic air with the Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorating to the ‘severe’ category in most areas on Tuesday, October 21.
The Supreme Court allowed green firecrackers to be set off between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM on the day of the festival, but the celebrations continued beyond the stipulated time.
At 7:15 am, Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) was recorded as “very poor” at 368, with four stations reporting “severe” air quality (above 400).
Air quality was expected to slip further into the “severe” category on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting the enforcement of Action II. degree (GRAP-2) in Delhi-NCR.
The morning sky was hazy on Tuesday as thick smog engulfed the city, reducing visibility on major stretches.
According to the data, the average air quality index (AQI) was 451, 1.8 times the national average, as pollution levels worsened during the festive celebrations.
Thirty-six of the 38 monitoring stations recorded pollution levels in the “red zone”, indicating “very poor” to “severe” air quality in Delhi.
Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI), which is reported at 4 pm every day, remained in the “very poor” category at 345, up from 326 recorded on Sunday, according to official data.
In the afternoon, 31 out of 38 stations recorded “very poor” air quality, with three stations falling under the “severe” zone.
The CPCB categorizes AQIs between 0 and 50 as “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “poor”, 301 and 400 as “very poor” and 401 and 401.
