Delhi wakes up to thick layer of smog, air quality ’very poor’

The national capital’s air quality is running at levels considered hazardous for days due to the annual burning of rice stubble across the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

On Friday morning, Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category as a thick layer of smog blanketed several parts of the national capital, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) stayed in “very poor” category at 379 in Anand Vihar at 8 am, 319 in Mathura Road, 363 in Bawana, 343 in Patparganj, 369 in Wazirpur, 481 in ITO, and 316 in RK Puram. Air pollution in these areas were found to be in the ‘severe’ and 'very poor' category.

AQI levels

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

On Thursday, the air quality stayed in "very poor" category in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, and "poor" in Gurgaon in the National Capital Region (NCR), as per a government agency.

The average 24-hour AQI at 4 pm on 12 November was 328 in Ghaziabad, 327 in Greater Noida, 305 in Noida, 304 in Faridabad and 293 in Gurgaon, as per the CPCB's Sameer app.

Delhi's overall AQI was recorded at 326 on Thursday, on the SAFAR application. The 24-hour average AQI was 344 on Wednesday and 476 on Tuesday.

This year, the thick smog that covers Delhi with the approach of winter has a particularly grim ally -- coronavirus.

With polluted winter weather, restrictions being further relaxed in Delhi, and a two-month fall in death totals levelling off in recent days, India’s remarkably effective public health efforts against Covid-19 are about to be put to the test.