NEW DELHI: The air quality in the national capital continued to be toxic on Tuesday, with pollution levels almost touching the ‘severe’ category in several parts of the city.
At 9 am, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 384, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).The 24-hour average AQI, recorded until 4 pm daily, was reported at 381 on Monday, the second highest in the country. Meanwhile, the data from the CPCB’s Sameer App, which provides hourly AQI updates, showed that out of the 38 monitoring stations, 13 were in the severe category with readings above 400. Anand Vihar reached 448 (PM10) at 10 am on Tuesday followed by Jahangirpuri at 440 AQI— both in the ‘severe’ categories.
As per AQI classifications, 0-50 range is ‘good,’ 51-100 is ‘satisfactory,’ 101-200 is ‘moderate,’ 201-300 is ‘poor,’ 301-400 is ‘very poor,’ and 401-500 is ‘severe.’
On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said visibility dropped to 1,800 metres over the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The visibility was 2,100 metres through the night.
Another initiative
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that a campaign to discourage the open burning of waste will begin on Wednesday to combat the rising air pollution levels.
“As I mentioned, Delhi is already implementing a campaign to control dust pollution. To date, 7,927 sites have been inspected, with 428 identified as being in major violation. Fines totalling 63 lakh rupees have been imposed on construction sites that are not complying with Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste management rules. For road dust control, 68 static anti-smog guns have been installed in different locations, particularly on tall buildings,” he stated.
‘Online classes should begin’
Considering the severe weather conditions in the city, the parents’ association is demanding the government to declare holidays for some days or conduct online classes for students as the current air is toxic to breathe and can cause further respiratory diseases.
Several schools have already cancelled morning assemblies due to the worsening air quality.