As air quality nears 'severe' category in Delhi, emergency curbs enforced

As air quality continues to worsen in the national capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has implemented Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Saturday.

“Keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality and in an effort to prevent further deterioration in the region, the CAQM GRAP Sub-Committee today has taken the call to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-III of extant GRAP — ‘Severe’ Air Quality (Delhi AQI ranging between 401-450), with immediate effect, in the entire NCR,” the commission said in a statement.

A thick blanket of smog shrouded the capital on Saturday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) registering 397, on the brinks of the 'severe' category.

Of the total monitoring stations in Delhi, 21 were in the 'severe' category with AQI readings crossing the 400-mark, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.

According to the CPCB data, Wazirpur registered the highest AQI at 445, followed by Vivek Vihar at 444, Jahangirpuri at 442, Anand Vihar at 439, and 437 each in Ashok Vihar and Rohini.

Narela recorded an AQI of 432, followed by 431 in Pratapganj, 430 in Mundka, and 429 each in Bawana, ITO and Nehru Nagar, it added.

The AQI stood at 423 each in Chandni Chowk and Punjabi Bagh, while Siri Fort and Sonia Vihar each recorded 424, the CPCB data added.

It further noted that Burari Crossing registered an AQI of 414, followed by 409 at Karni Singh Shooting Range, 408 each in North Campus and RK Puram, 404 at and Okhla Phase 2.

An AQI between 0 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', according to CPCB.

The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast that Delhi's air quality is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category on Saturday and may deteriorate further, with conditions expected to slip into the 'severe' category on Sunday.