Delhi continues to remain in 'red zone' as AQI breaches 400 in several areas. What is causing the pollution?

Delhi's air quality continued to remain at a 'severe' level, as the AQI in several parts of the city breached 400. The toxic haze pushed the national capital into the 'red zone,' making it one of the most polluted cities in the country.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that Delhi's 24-hour average AQI, measured at 6 am, stood at 392. On Saturday, the city had recorded 361, making it one of the most polluted cities nationwide. On Friday, the city had recorded an AQI of 322, the highest in the country at the time.

Among the city’s 38 monitoring stations, pollution levels were particularly high in several areas. The AQI touched 412 at Anand Vihar, 430 at Burari Crossing, 420 at ITO, 420 at Mundka, 347 at Najafgarh, 405 at Okhla, 415 at Punjabi Bagh, 421 at RK Puram, 436 at Wazirpur, and 419 at Narela.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Noida recorded an AQI of 392, nearing the ‘severe’ category, while Greater Noida stood at 365. Ghaziabad too entered the red zone with an AQI of 387. Gurugram performed comparatively better at 254, though it remained in the ‘poor’ category.

As the Capital is under the grip of toxic haze, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has advised private institutions to prioritise work-from-home, while the timings of Delhi government and Delhi Municipal Corporation offices have also been changed.

What are the new winter office timings?

Under the proposed schedule, Delhi government offices will now function from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm instead of the previous 9:30 am to 6:00 pm.

The MCD offices, on the other hand, will operate from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm instead of the earlier 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

How bad is Delhi’s air quality?

The air quality in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been deteriorating since Diwali, remaining in the 'poor' and 'very poor' categories before finally reaching the 'hazardous' level, with AQI hitting 400 in some parts of the city.

What is causing the pollution?

Stubble burning has been identified as the major contributor to the rising pollution in the capital. According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality forecasting, 30 per cent of Delhi's pollution is attributed to stubble burning, while 15 per cent comes from the transport sector.