Delhi Pollution In Severe Zone For 3rd Day, Stricter Curbs Come Into Effect
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Delhi woke up to yet another morning of thick smog with the air quality remaining in the ‘Severe’ category for the third consecutive day.
Delhi air pollution (PTI Image)
Delhi woke up to yet another morning of thick smog on Friday with the air quality remaining in the ‘Severe’ category for the third consecutive day across several parts of the region.
In view of the worsening air quality in the national capital, Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force today, following an order by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday.
While GRAP-3 is in effect, construction and demolition works will be halted, all non-essential mining activities will be suspended, and non-electric, non-CNG, and non-BS-VI diesel interstate buses will be restricted. The schools have been ordered to switch to online teaching for students of classes up to 5 in Delhi-NCR.
AQI Stands At 413
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 409 on Friday, showing slight improvement compared to Thursday’s AQI of 432, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
As many as 21 out of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi reported severe air quality levels, with four classified as ‘severe plus’. The AQI was recorded at 441 in Anand Vihar, 429 in Narela, 443 in Punjabi Bagh, and 403 in Nazafgarh.
According to the CPCB, a severe Air Quality Index (AQI) of 401–500 can cause respiratory issues even in healthy people, and serious health issues in people with heart or lung disease.
Trains, Flights Affected
The low visibility conditions in the national capital and surrounding areas due to thick fog delayed several trains and flights on Friday.
As many as 15 trains approaching the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) were delayed, said officials, adding that they were running late by 1 hour or more.
Several flights travelling to and from Delhi, Varanasi and Amritsar were also affected due to the unfavourable visibility factor, said the officials.
Factors Pushing Delhi Pollution
In New Delhi, the air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category for 14 consecutive days until Tuesday evening, with vehicular emissions being the largest contributor, accounting for 15.4 per cent of the pollution.
Stubble burning in neighbouring states worsened the situation, covering the city in a dense layer of smog, according to experts. The level of key pollutants–PM2.5 and PM10–stood extremely high in the air.
The Air Quality Warning System under the Ministry of Earth Sciences warned that with slow wind speeds, the meteorological conditions are likely to remain extremely unfavourable for effective dispersion of pollutants.
