Delhi air quality dips to ‘very poor’ category; multiple stations log above-400 AQI

The air quality is likely to remain ‘very poor’ over the coming week, according to the forecast by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.

Several stations saw a sharp spike in AQI, slipping into the ‘severe’ category: Anand Vihar (411), Bawana (414), Chandni Chowk (407), Narela (407), JLN Stadium (401), Burari (402), Ashok Vihar (417) and Aya Nagar (402). Other stations reported AQI levels at the higher end of the ‘very poor’ range, including ITO (396), Alipur (355), IGI Airport (360) and Najafgarh (361). The capital has now recorded poor air quality for 14 consecutive days.

According to CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast mist, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle around 24 and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

With Delhi’s air quality slipping deep into the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories this winter, doctors have stressed the need for regular diagnostic screening to detect early signs of pollution-linked health deterioration, especially among smokers, asthma patients, children and people with pre-existing cardiac or respiratory conditions.

Air quality worsens in Mumbai

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that it has issued stop-work notices to 53 construction sites for contributing to air pollution, as the city grapples with deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI).

The AQI in Mumbai Saturday morning stood at 197, according to AQI.in.

The civic body on Thursday also directed that the air pollution guidelines it had laid down should be followed strictly. These include installing sensors to monitor AQI that remain operational all the time.