Delhi’s brief respite from extreme air pollution ended abruptly today as the city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) deteriorated to 401 by 6 PM, pushing it back into the ‘Severe’ category. This decline comes after a temporary improvement on Friday morning when the AQI had registered at 371 in the ‘very poor’ range.
Delhi Air Quality still in severe category
The situation appears particularly grave in Jahangirpuri, which recorded the highest AQI at 445. Of the capital’s 39 monitoring stations, nearly half (19) have reported ‘Severe’ category readings, indicating widespread air quality deterioration across the city.
The pollution crisis has triggered a health emergency, with a LocalCircles survey revealing that 75 percent of families in the region have at least one member experiencing respiratory problems, including sore throat or cough. The main culprits behind the pollution surge remain vehicular emissions and farm fires in neighboring states.
For reference, the AQI categories are defined as:
– 0-50: Good
– 51-100: Satisfactory
– 101-200: Moderate
– 201-300: Poor
– 301-400: Very Poor
– 401-500: Severe
Delhi Govt. implements emergency measures
In response to the worsening conditions, the Delhi government has implemented emergency measures, including:
– 50% work-from-home policy for government employees
– Staggered office timings to reduce traffic congestion
This deterioration marks another challenging phase in Delhi’s ongoing battle with air pollution, particularly concerning as winter approaches, typically bringing worse air quality conditions to the capital region.
