Delhi AQI today: 2 days after Diwali, national capital continues to grapple with ‘very poor’ air quality
Delhi AQI today: Engulfed in thick smoke as air quality fails to improve, several areas of Delhi, including Ashok Vihar and Bawana, recorded the worst AQI levels on Wednesday morning. The CAQM invoked Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan in response to alarming pollution levels.
Delhi AQI today: Delhi residents woke up to a thick layer of smog blanketing the city on Wednesday, 22 October. The alarming pollution levels and deteriorating air quality since Diwali have raised concerns. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the capital city recorded an AQI of 345, placing it in the “very poor” category.
Some localities, including Ashok Vihar, Bawana and Dilshad Garden, registered around 380 AQI at 6.15 am on Wednesday, which is among the worst in the national capital.
Most of Delhi's 38 monitoring stations registered AQI readings between 300 and 400. At the same time, a few areas, such as DTU, IGI Airport and Lodhi Road, fared slightly better, falling in the “poor category”, with readings below 300.
In light of the persistent pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on 19 October, which remains in effect in Delhi.
To control pollution, CAQM directed the daily mechanical/vacuum sweeping and water sprinkling of the identified roads as part of GRAP Stage 2. Besides this, the Commission called for increased parking fees, enforcement of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites, and an increase in the frequency of public transport, such as bus and metro services. It also issued orders to authorities to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply, as it called for the strict implementation of regulated operations of DG sets across all sectors to conserve power.
The CAQM, in an official statement, said, “Ensure water sprinkling along with use of dust suppressants (at least every alternate day, during non-peak hours) on roads to arrest road dust, especially at hotspots, heavy traffic corridors, vulnerable areas and proper disposal of dust collected in designated sites/landfills.”
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded its worst post-Diwali air quality in the last four years. On the day of the most celebrated festival, pollution levels spiked sharply, with PM2.5 concentrations reaching the 675 mark. The BJP government blamed stubble burning in the AAP-ruled Punjab for the rising pollution levels in Delhi. However, many flouted the cracker-bursting two-hour time limit in Delhi-NCR set by the Supreme Court between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm.