Delhi air quality plummets to ‘very poor’ ahead of Diwali, city blanketed in smog: ‘Feeling suffocated’

Delhi air pollution: With less than a week left for Diwali, the national capital's air pollution woes got worse as Delhi woke up to a layer of smog engulfing the city. The AQI in Anand Vihar and the surrounding areas fell to the ‘severe’ category, leaving visitors feeling 'suffocated'.

“It feels suffocating due to pollution... The government should look into what can be done to reduce pollution,” a visitor, named Himanshu was quoted as saying by ANI.

While the Air Quality Index (AQI) around ITO Delhi and nearby areas stood at 361, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 405, categorised as 'Severe' according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

An AQI reading of 0-50 is categorised as ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.

In addition, a a thick layer of smog enveloped the India Gate, as joggers and morning walkers carried on with their morning routines near the Kartavya Path.

With the onset of the winter season, Delhi's AQI has been plummeting to 'severe' levels. While the air quality did improve a little on Thursday, thanks to the squally winds, it has been declining gradually, and is expected to remain ‘hazardous’ in the coming few weeks, stated reports.

‘Next 15 days crucial’

Yesterday, Delhi Environment Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai addressed the escalating air pollution crisis in northern India, and declared the next 15 days as "crucial."

Gopal Rai's comments came after a meeting with the Central government, where he met with Union Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Bhupender Yadav, as well as environment ministers from neighboring states, to assess and plan for addressing the worsening air quality in the area.

The minister also lamented the decision to hold this year's meeting in the last week of October, saying, “Had it been conducted three months earlier, we could have tackled the pollution problem more effectively.”