Delhi's air pollution worsens ahead of Diwali, residents say ‘can’t breathe properly'

The air quality deteriorated in the national capital on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) being recorded at 352, in the 'very poor' category

The air quality in Delhi has further deteriorated in the national capital on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) being recorded at 352, in the 'very poor' category, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

A view of India Gate covered in a layer of smog as the AQI categorized as 'Very Poor' as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI Photo)(ANI)

AQI in areas such as Anand Vihar crossed the 400 mark, being recorded as 405 at 7 AM, categorized as 'severe', worse than the AQI of 367 recorded on Saturday.

This forecast is significantly worse than the average AQI recorded at 255 on Saturday, categorized as 'poor'. AQI at the Akshardham Temple deteriorated 261, whereas IGI airport recorded an AQI of 324, both categorized as 'very poor.'

The city has been covered by a layer of smog, which is most prominent early in the morning. In conversation with news agency ANI, Himanshu who is visiting Delhi, said the rising pollution feels “suffocating”.

A cyclist told the news agency, "We are from Delhi and we (the cyclist group) cycle daily here, but this situation of air pollution since the last few days we are facing a lot of problems.

He added, “We can't breathe properly, we get tired faster due to the pollution. We take precautions like wearing a bandana but nothing is working because the pollution is increasing a lot.”

Citizens have called for the government to take action as cases of respiratory illnesses have risen during this period.

The cyclist told ANI, that the measures taken by the government don't seem effective enough, and the government should encourage the people to use public transport more.

He said, “The government did some work like stopping construction and implementing odd-even but it doesn't seem like it is working as this is increasing day by day. There should be constructive measures to encourage people to use public transport and carpooling.”

In an effort to curb pollution during the festive season, the Delhi government has banned the use and sale of firecrackers till January 1. The government has also adopted measures such as spraying water on roads, frequent cleanings of public spaces etc to reduce particulate matter in the air.