After further exacerbation of the air quality, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of parts of the national capital city Delhi entered the 'severe' zone on Monday while the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city stood in the 'very poor' category for the third consecutive day, said the weather-monitoring agencies.
AQI of different parts of Delhi
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 347 at 4 pm, worsening from 325 on Sunday, 304 on Saturday and 261 (poor) on Friday.
Rohini (406), Wazirpur (416), and Mundka (414) recorded their air quality in the 'severe' zone (AQI above 400).
It was 256 on Thursday, 243 on Wednesday and 220 on Tuesday.
The AQI was 272 in neighbouring Ghaziabad, 300 in Faridabad, 203 in Gurugram, 303 in Noida and 336 in Greater Noida.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
The city's air quality deteriorated to the 'very poor' category on Saturday due to slow wind speed at night and a dip in the temperatures and it is expected to remain in the same position for a few more days, according to the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.
The capital's air quality in October 2023 has been worse compared to the last two years and meteorologists attribute it to the lack of rainfall.
According to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, though the number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab has reduced, vehicular emissions have emerged as a major contributor to the air pollution in the city.
He demanded that the Centre impose a strict ban on buses operating with poor-quality diesel in the National Capital Region (NCR) areas of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
