Delhi pollution: As air quality worsens, AAP govt orders using dust suppressants

Delhi air pollution: The national capital on Monday woke up to an AQI of 305 (very poor).

Delhi air pollution: As the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi and neighbouring NCR worsened on Monday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that the government has decided to use dust suppressant powder to prevent dust pollution in the city, reported PTI.

An anti-dust gun sprays water droplets to curb air pollution in New Delhi. (ANI)

Rai said that district collectors have been instructed to conduct field visits on October 25 and ensure the strict implementation of pollution mitigation measures.

"Directions have also been issued to use dust suppressant powder in anti-smog guns to prevent dust pollution. The anti-dust campaign will be strengthened, and more field visits will be conducted," he said.

He also said that the Aam Aadmi Party government has identified eight more pollution hotspots, in addition to the existing 13, in the national capital and special teams will deployed there to check the sources of pollution.

“In addition to the 13 existing air pollution hotspots in Delhi, we are focusing on eight places where the AQI has exceeded the 300-mark,” Rai was quoted as saying by PTI. “These locations include Shadipur, ITO, Mandir Marg, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar, Dhyan Chand Stadium, and Moti Bagh.”

An AQI between 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor" and 401-500 "severe". An AQI above 500 falls in the "severe plus" category.

The national capital on Monday woke up to an AQI of 305 which improved to 291 at 1 pm, the data showed. In neighbouring Gurugram, the AQI was 255 at 1 pm, 246 in Ghaziabad, 304 in Noida and 354 in Greater Noida.

Delhi's air quality turned "very poor" on Sunday for the first time since May. This was mainly due to a drop in temperature and slow wind speed. The AQI is likely to remain “very poor” until at least Wednesday.

Earlier today, Rai told ANI that the next two weeks are crucial for Delhi due to the combination of Dussehra, Diwali and farm fires.

“Because of Dussehra, Diwali, and farm fires, the next 10-15 days are crucial and we are trying to do better than previous times,” Rai told the news agency in an interview.

The minister said it has started getting cold and calm winds at high has led to accumulation of pollutants. “The particulate matter stays close to the ground... In the wake of this, the second phase of GRAP has been implemented in Delhi,” he said.