AQI Updates: ‘Very small percentage…’ says SAD leader on issue of stubble burning in Punjab, slams Arvind Kejriwal

AQI Updates: The overall air quality in Delhi worsened by Friday night as the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) hovered around 286 at 11 pm (from 249 in the morning), as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). The average AQI was recorded in Gurugram is 252, 208 in Noida, 269 in Dhirpur, Lodhi Road at 218. According to the AQI scale, the air quality check between 0 and 50 is "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 450 "severe".

In Mumbai, the overall air quality remained in the 'moderate' category with AQI at 132. The Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms that are easy to understand. There are six AQI categories, namely Good Satisfactory, Moderately Polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe.

Catch all Updates on AQI levels in Delhi, Mumbai and other cities here:

Latest AQI recorded

The overall air quality of Delhi around 11 pm, Friday, hovers around 286.

Punjab govt brought stubble burning down by 50 percent", claims state minister

After the Haryana government claimed that there is more stubble burning in Punjab than in Haryana, Punjab Minister Bram Shanker Sharma said that the cases of stubble burning has gone down by 50 percent this year.

Bram Shanker Sharma told ANI "Haryana is the nearest to Delhi. Punjab comes next. First, Pollution from Haryana will reach Delhi first. Secondly, we have data that the cases of stubble burning have gone down by 50% this year. It means that the Punjab Government has brought this under control by 50%."

Haryana government on Friday released images that they claim is from NASA which shows that there are more than double stubbing burning incidents in Punjab as compared to Haryana on October 25 and 26.

‘Very small percentage…’ says SAD leader on issue of stubble burning in Punjab, slams Arvind Kejriwal

On the issue of stubble burning in Punjab, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia says, "...It's the politics of Arvind Kejriwal, it's his failure. Only a very small percentage is due to farmers, the rest is due to construction, industrial and vehicular pollution. They are cheating the farmers of Punjab.

Stubble burning: 53% reduction in paddy straw burning incidents, Punjab Government's latest report shows

The Punjab Goverment said that the number of paddy straw burning incidents reduced from 5798 to 2704, which is 53% reduction in the number of fire incidents between 15th Sept 2023 to 25th Oct 2023 as compared to the number of such incidents between 15th Sept 2022 to 25th Oct 2022.

It further added, “Timely distribution of machines, utilisation of machines lying idle, efforts to ensure maximum utilisation of stubble in various industries, various deterrence efforts, campaigns to promote various in-situ and ex-situ methods and appeals to farmers, etc. have shown significant efforts and ensured improved air quality for everyone.”

Delhi's air quality to worsen in days ahead

Delhi's air quality was recorded in the 'poor' category for the fifth consecutive day on Friday and is likely to deteriorate in the coming days due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to monitoring agencies.

Delhi Env Min Gopal Rai speaks on 'Red Light on, Gaadi off' campaign

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced a 15-point action plan... It is being implemented on the ground one by one now... Now the data says that in AQI the level of PM10 is decreasing and that of PM2.5 is increasing. For this, the 'Red Light on, Gaadi off' campaign has been started since yesterday... Through this campaign, we are trying to control the unnecessary burning of fuel and the spreading of pollution..."

Mumbai pollution: AQI in Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus drops to ‘very poor’

Mumbai pollution: Though overall AQI in Mumbai stands at 132, Air quality at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus was recorded in 'Very Poor' category

Delhi's air continue to remain ‘poor’ with AQI at 249

The overall air quality in the national capital on Friday morning continued to remain ‘poor’ with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 249, as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). The average AQI was recorded in Gurugram is 252, 208 in Noida, 269 in Dhirpur, Lodhi Road at 218.

Delhi Government to start 'Red light on, Gaadi off' campaign to combat pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday slammed the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for making illogical statements over the allegations that the DPCC chairman stopped the Delhi Government Real-time Source Apportionment Study. "People of the BJP give statements as if they do not know anything about it. Yesterday, several illogical statements came from BJP leaders. One of the leaders said that when the study stopped in February, Gopal Rai was saying that pollution had decreased. Let me inform them that the process to stop the study began in February, but it actually ended in October," Rai said.

With AQI below 50, Shimla attracts tourists from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi breathing 'poor' air

With the quality of air in the plains of North India now reaching the 'poor' category, tourists from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and other neighbouring areas are heading towards the hill state of Himachal Pradesh where even the highest AQI comes under 'moderate' category. Except for Solan, where the AQI is under the 'moderate' category, the Air Quality Index in tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh is under the 'good' category including Shimla, which recorded an AQI of 34 on Wednesday. Manali recorded the lowest AQI (6), followed by Kullu (7) and Dharamshala (15) on Wednesday.

‘DPCC Chairman stalled study on determining pollution sources’: AAP leader Gopal Rai in letter to Delhi CM

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking suspension of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairman accusing him of stalling an IIT Kanpur study to determine pollution sources in the national capital.

In a post on X, Aam Admi Party said," Environment Minister Gopal Rai writes to CM Arvind Kejriwal seeking immediate suspension of Ashwini Kumar and disciplinary action, DPCC Chairman for stalling Real-time Source Apportionment study by IIT Kanpur. Payment to IIT Kanpur which has been stopped by DPCC Chairman Ashwini Kumar."