New Delhi: The air quality in the national capital on Sunday morning was recorded in the ‘poor’ category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 245. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research, Safar-India, the AQI near Anand Vihar was recorded at 345 in the ‘very poor’ category, similarly, the AQI at the city’s Burari Crossing area was recorded at 269. The air quality in Delhi’s ITO area was recorded as poor with an AQI of 203, while in the Punjabi Bagh area, it was recorded at 236, which is again in the poor zone. The RK Puram area recorded an AQI of 239, at New Moti Bagh it was recorded at 267, while at Shadipur it was at 217, all in the poor category, as per SAFAR-India.
Also Read: “Air Quality In Delhi Has Been Best This Year,” Says AAP Leader Priyanka Kakkar
The air quality in Noida also dipped into the poor category. Early morning visuals showed cars making their way through the smog-filled highway of the city.
With the air quality index in Delhi dropping to the ‘poor’ level earlier on October 6, authorities in the National Capital Region (NCR) were asked to strictly implement measures under Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
This included a complete ban on the use of coal in roadside eateries, hotels and restaurants.
Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms that are easy to understand. There are six AQI categories, namely Good + Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. Each of these categories is decided based on ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints).
Also Read: Minister Gopal Rai Launches Anti-Dust Campaign In Delhi To Combat Air Pollution
According to the AQI scale, the air quality check between 0 and 50 are considered “good”, 51 and 100 are “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 are “moderate”, 201 and 300 are “poor”, 301 and 400 are “very poor”, and 401 and 450 are “severe” and “severe+” when AQI exceeds 450.
Earlier on October 9, during a press conference, the AAP Chief Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said,
In 2022, the air quality in Delhi improved further by 8 per cent. In 2023, this improvement has reached 31 per cent. According to a report, in the last 8 years, excluding the COVID period, the air quality in Delhi has been the best in the year 2023.
Earlier, the Centre’s air quality panel directed authorities in the National Capital Region to enforce a ban on coal usage in hotels and restaurants and take punitive measures against polluting industries and thermal power plants as the air quality in Delhi plunged into the “poor” category.
This action came as part of the government’s pollution control plan known as the ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ (GRAP) which is implemented in the Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution during the winter season.
Also Read: Delhi’s Air Quality Turns ‘Poor’; Measures Under GRAP Stage I Kick In
To curb the pollution in winters, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday, launched phase two of a sapling plantation drive in the city. He said that there has been an increase in green cover in the national capital over the last eight years.
The minister highlighted that Delhi’s green cover has increased from 20 per cent to 23 per cent during the AAP government’s tenure, leading to an improvement in air quality.
The second phase of the plantation drive began at Garhi Mandu in northeast Delhi. Talking to the reporters, Minister Rai said,
We had set a target of planting 52 lakh saplings, including shrubs, this fiscal. We have already planted 40 lakh as part of our action plan to reduce pollution during the summer season. Now, we are commencing phase two of the plantation drive, during which the remaining 12 lakh saplings will be planted in the winter season.
Also Read: Delhi’s Action Plan For Winter Pollution: Focus On Dust, Vehicular, Industrial Emissions
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
