Ahead of Diwali, Delhi’s air quality dips to ‘poor’ category

New Delhi, October 17

Just a week ahead of Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital has dipped to the ‘poor’ category, and in some areas it was recorded as ‘severe’.

According to a forecast issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System on Sunday, the AQI in Delhi will remain in the ‘poor’ category till Wednesday and the subsequent six days.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that the AQI of Anand Vihar was recorded at 428 or the ‘severe’ category on Monday.

Meanwhile, the areas under the ‘poor’ category were Patparganj (251), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (247), IGI Airport (242), ITO (250), Nehru Nagar (252), RK Puram (268), and Siri Fort (213).

As per the CPCB data, the air quality in the capital city on Sunday stood at 232.

The CPCB classifies an AQI reading between zero and 50 as “good”; between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”; between 101 and 200 as “moderate”; between 201 and 300 as “poor”; between 301 and 400 as “very poor”; and between 401 and 500 as “severe”.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management on Sunday said it has directed all agencies of the central and state governments to strictly implement actions under stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The GRAP had been introduced in the city on October 5. IANS