Delhi’s Air Quality Reaches ‘Severe’ Category, Pollution Control Measures Take Effect

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 23rd Dec. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reported that the air quality index (AQI) in the national capital of Delhi was recorded as severe on Saturday morning.

The AQI in Delhi was measured at 447, which falls under the severe category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 is satisfactory, 101 and 200 is moderate, 201 and 300 is poor, 301 and 400 is very poor, 401 and 450 is severe, and above 450 is severe-plus.

In response to the worsening AQI in the region, the government has implemented measures to combat pollution, including a ban on non-essential construction work and the use of certain vehicles.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for addressing pollution in the region, has attributed the sudden increase in Delhi’s daily average AQI to unfavorable meteorological conditions such as fog, haze, and low wind speed.

Under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the CAQM has imposed restrictions on non-essential construction work, stone crushing, and mining in Delhi-NCR.

Additionally, the operation of certain vehicles, specifically BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, has been restricted in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, which is two notches above the seasonal average.

The IMD has forecasted moderate fog throughout the day, with a maximum temperature of around 23 degrees Celsius.

The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 97 percent.