Delhi air pollution: The air quality remained in the 'severe' category at most places in Delhi on Thursday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing 400. A thick layer of toxic smog covered the city reducing visibility and raising health concerns for all age groups.
Squandering the relief due to rain, Delhi recorded a jump in pollution levels and a smoky haze returned on Monday after people flouted the ban on firecrackers on Diwali night.
Delhi's air quality dropped over the last few days despite the city government implementing stringent measures, including a ban on construction work and the entry of diesel-guzzling trucks into the city, to control pollution.
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According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was 442 in Bawana, 415 in ITO, 441 in Jahangirpuri, 417 in Dwarka, 415 in Alipur, 411 in Anand Vihar and 403 near the Delhi airport.
Notably, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that shallow fog-like conditions are expected to prevail l in Delhi during the next four days.
See people's reaction
Shivang, a Delhi resident, who is an athlete, said that he is facing difficulty in breathing during training. " I am an athlete but I find it difficult to breathe in this pollution, I train outdoors and I find it difficult to breathe," he said.
Harshit Gupta, who came to the city from Uttar Pradesh said that breathing in Delhi feels like inhaling smoke. " I have come from UP, breathing in Delhi feels like inhaling smoke. The government here must see to it, why is this happening...some solutions need to be found. We are coming from far away places and if this is the situation in Delhi, our health will surely deteriorate," he added.
Delhi government likely to impose complete ban on passenger buses
In view of the pollution situation, the Delhi government is likely to impose a complete ban on passenger buses except those running on CNG, electricity and BS-VI diesel from entering the national capital. Restrictions under GRAP Stage IV are currently in place in Delhi, as part of which, only trucks are barred from entering the city.
Forty enforcement teams, including traffic, are deployed in Delhi's border areas from 8 pm to 4 am to enforce the restrictions.
A hundred teams have been pressed into action overall to check overloaded trucks, pollution certificates, interstate buses and congestion.
Delhi most polluted city in world
Delhi was the most polluted city in the world on Tuesday, followed by Lahore and Mumbai, IQAir, a Swiss company that specialises in air quality monitoring, showed on November 14.
Notably, on Diwali day, Delhi achieved its best air quality in eight years on Sunday, as the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 218 at 4 pm. However, the continued bursting of firecrackers into the night caused a rise in pollution levels, especially with low temperatures prevailing.
"It's evident that the spike in pollution levels post Diwali is due to two factors -- firecracker bursting and farm fires -- with fireworks being the predominant reason in this case," an official of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulation of strategies to reduce pollution in Delhi-NCR, told PTI.
According to a system developed by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology to identify the contribution of different pollution sources, stubble-burning accounted for 12 per cent of the air pollution in the capital on Tuesday. It is likely to be 14 per cent on Wednesday and 6 per cent on Thursday.
According to doctors, breathing in the polluted air of Delhi is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day, reported news agency PTI.
Also Read: Delhi air pollution: AQI continues to stay in 'Severe' category post Diwali festivities
