Delhi's Air Quality Stays 'Poor' Despite Slight Dip in AQI
Delhi's AQI dips slightly to 223 but remains in the 'poor' category. GRAP Stage-I implemented to curb rising pollution in the NCR.
The national capital continues to struggle with deteriorating air quality, as the Delhi air quality index remained in the 'poor' category on Friday morning. According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded an AQI of 223 at 8 am, showing only a marginal improvement from Thursday's reading of 226.
Hotspots of Pollution: Which Areas are Worst Hit?
While the overall average suggests a slight dip, several pockets of the city are experiencing significantly higher pollution levels. The CPCB data highlights several areas where the air quality is particularly concerning:
- Jahangirpuri: Recorded the highest AQI at 284.
- Rohini: Followed closely with an AQI of 281.
- Punjabi Bagh: Registered a reading of 275.
Other areas also falling firmly into the 'poor' category include Bawana (269), Patparganj (263), Alipur (257), Chandni Chowk (245), and Aya Nagar (231). Wazirpur and Anand Vihar reported slightly lower but still 'poor' levels at 222 and 219, respectively. Only Ashok Vihar provided a brief respite, recording an AQI of 192, which falls under the 'moderate' category.
GRAP Stage-I Invoked to Combat Smog
In response to the persistent pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has officially invoked Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the Delhi-NCR region. This decision came after a GRAP sub-committee meeting where officials reviewed the current air quality and determined that preventive measures were necessary to stop the situation from worsening further.
Traffic Police Step Up Enforcement
To support the GRAP Stage-I mandates, the Delhi Traffic Police have conducted an inter-state coordination meeting to tighten controls at the city's borders. The authorities are focusing on several key enforcement areas:
- Vehicle Restrictions: Implementation of entry restrictions for specific vehicles from November 1 to January 31.
- Compliance Checks: Diverting buses that do not meet pollution norms and strictly checking pollution certificates.
- Dust Control: Taking active measures to curb road dust and pollution arising from construction activities.
Agencies have been instructed to ensure that CAQM guidelines are implemented within the stipulated timeframes and to maintain real-time coordination to prevent the air quality from sliding into 'very poor' or 'severe' categories.
Understanding the AQI Scale
To put these numbers into perspective, the CPCB uses the following categories to define air quality:
- Good: 0 to 50
- Satisfactory: 51 to 100
- Moderate: 101 to 200
- Poor: 201 to 300
- Very Poor: 301 to 400
- Severe: 401 to 500
The volatility of the air quality was evident on Thursday, when areas like Jahangirpuri (309) and Chandni Chowk (307) had already crossed into the 'very poor' threshold before the slight dip recorded on Friday.