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  5. Delhi air quality turns ‘severe’, AQI above 400 in many areas

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Delhi air quality turns ‘severe’, AQI above 400 in many areas

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By Vani Dua

3 min read | Updated on November 13, 2024, 19:31 IST

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SUMMARY

The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi has breached the 400-mark, entering the ‘severe’ category in most monitoring stations. The city’s sky has been covered with thick smog with residents complaining of low visibility on roads and flights getting delayed and cancelled due to poor air quality.

Delhi experiences severe pollution every winter, as the cold and heavy air traps dust, emissions and smoke, worsening the city's air crisis

Delhi experiences severe pollution every winter, as the cold and heavy air traps dust, emissions and smoke, worsening the city's air crisis

Delhi’s air quality turned ‘severe’ for the first time this season, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting above 430 on Wednesday, November 13.

As per data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), more than 25 cities are in the ‘very poor’ AQI category and as many as 50 cities are in the ‘poor’ category for air quality.

A dense smog layer has been covering Delhi skies for many days.

Residents have complained of low visibility on the roads and have also been experiencing irritation in their eyes, running nose, breathlessness and cough, reported news agency ANI.

Air Quality Index and its categories

As per the SAFAR website, AQI is defined as: “Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour."

There are six AQI categories:

  • Good: 0–50
  • Satisfactory: 51–100
  • Moderate: 101–200
  • Poor: 201–300
  • Very Poor: 301–400
  • Severe: 401–500

Pollution in Delhi

Delhi experiences severe pollution every winter, as the cold and heavy air traps dust, emissions and smoke, worsening the city's air crisis. This seasonal occurrence leads to dangerously high levels of air pollution, which often impacts visibility and poses serious health risks to residents. Reports have suggested time and again that inhaling Delhi air is equal to smoking more than 10 cigarettes every day. There are 36 monitoring stations in Delhi, from which 30 reported air quality in the 'severe' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Environmentalist Vimlendhu Jha on Wednesday termed the situation alarming and said citizens need to stay cautious as the air quality is expected to be even worse in the coming weeks due to lower temperatures.

“With the temperature dipping further in the next couple of weeks, I think we need to be extremely aware that the air quality index might reach the severe category and stay in the severe category for several weeks,” he told ANI.

Several IndiGo flights travelling between Delhi and Amritsar were delayed due to the thick smog from poor air quality in the region. On Tuesday night, an IndiGo flight from Punjab to Delhi was cancelled, and numerous other flights were delayed on both Tuesday and Wednesday due to reduced visibility caused by the dense fog.

About The Author

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Vani Dua is a journalism graduate from LSR College, Delhi. She is passionate about news and presently covers markets, business, economy, and other related fields. She is an avid reader and loves to spend her time weaving stories in her head.

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