Delhi pollution 65 times above WHO acceptable limit just days after Diwali

Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) continues to deteriorate as it crossed the 400 mark on Sunday, two days after Diwali. The air pollution level now lies in the alarming ‘hazardous’ category in the national capital as of 8:30 am, which is detrimental to the health of people living in Delhi and its adjoining areas.

A thick layer of smog engulfed the national capital, and the AQI was recorded above 300 in most areas, making Delhi-NCR’s PM2.5 levels over 50 times more threatening than the WHO-prescribed limit, according to the AQICN data.

An AQI, which is a report of the quality of air in a region, is considered ‘poor’ between 200-300, ‘very poor’ at 301 and 400, severe at 401 and 450 and above 450 is “severe-plus” and can cause damaging health concerns to residents.

Delhi AQI up by over 100 points within 12 hours

Meanwhile, the AQI figure soared from 327 to 447 within 12 hours in Delhi. At 9 pm on Saturday, Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 327 in most areas. In areas like Anand Vihar, the AQI remained above 500 after 8:30 am.

Alipur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aaya Nagar, Bawana, Burari, Mathura Road, IGI Airport, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Patparganj, Rohini, Shadipur, Sonia Vihar, Wazirpur, Mandir Marg, Nehru Nagar, Najafgarh and other weather-monitoring stations witnessed “very poor” air quality, according to the Sameer app that provides hourly updates of the National AQI published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

AQI levels in various Delhi areas on Sunday as of 9 am:

Anand Vihar – 532 (hazardous)
Alipur – 318 (hazardous)
Punjabi Bagh – 381 (hazardous)
Narela – 295 (very poor)
RK Puram 329 – (hazardous)
Bawana – 382 ((hazardous)
Delhi air pollution and Diwali

On Friday a day after the Diwali celebration, the city’s air quality was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Most areas in the capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) over 350, raising health concerns for residents.

A recent survey conducted by ‘LocalCircles’ revealed that most Delhi people struggled to breathe as smoke from firecrackers worsened the air pollution in the national capital.

Among the 21,000 respondents, who participated in the survey from Delhi and neighbouring NCR regions, 69 per cent reported that at least one member in every family suffered from respiratory issues, such as sore throats and coughs, while 62 per cent experienced eye irritation due to poor air quality.

GRAP-II is already in place in Delhi-NCR

Shockingly, Delhi’s air is getting worse every day despite all possible measures such as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-II) already being implemented in the national capital.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) ordered the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-II) in Delhi-NCR on October 21 after the overall Air Quality Index dropped to the ‘Very Poor’ category in the region.