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Delhi AQI close to ‘poor’ mark: Know warning signs as smog thickens
The pollution level is just 11 points away from the first “poor” reading of the city in the month.
The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi worsened on Monday to 189, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), placing it in the "moderate" category. The pollution level is just 11 points away from the first “poor” reading of the city in the month. Delhi's AQI was last poor on June 11.
On Sunday, the average AQI of the city was recorded at 167 – an improvement against Sunday's 199, due to consistent winds of 10-15km per hour.
As reported by HT, Delhi’s air quality is very likely to be in the ‘moderate’ category from October 13 to 14 and in the ‘poor’ category on October 15,” as per the air quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, which comes under the ministry of Earth sciences.
The AQI is likely to stay “poor” after October 15, for another six days. According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 “satisfactory”, 101 to 200 “moderate”, 201 to 300 “poor”, 301 to 400 “very poor” and 401 to 500 “severe.”
The AQI generally starts worsening in October in the capital, following the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon and a dip in air temperature.
This is coupled with the start of stubble burning in northwest India, which coincides with the festival season when firecrackers are burst, and a drop in temperature or wind speed.
The Delhi government has already sought allowing of green firecrackers in Delhi, informing the court in an affidavit about various measures it has planned to check the sale and use of prohibited traditional firecrackers and to create awareness among people
The Supreme Court, too, last week had said that a complete ban on bursting of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR is "neither practical nor ideal" as such restrictions were often violated, and balancing of equities is needed.
Environmental activists have raised concerns, saying that even when green crackers were allowed in the past, people still burst conventional ones in the capital.
"We have seen even when green firecrackers were allowed in the past, conventional ones were being burst. QR codes did not help and agencies simply turned a blind eye," Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari had told HT earlier.
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