AQI worsens across Delhi, several areas touch severe levels

Delhi’s air quality worsened even more on Wednesday morning and the city continued to be in the grip of severely polluted air.

CPCB data shows citywide pollution at alarming levels

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 357 at 7 am which means it was categorically ‘very poor’.

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The AQI on the previous day was 337, the deterioration in air quality over a period of time is thus indicated.

The capital’s territory was divided into several parts and wherever readings were being taken, the figures were very high indicative of poor air quality posing great risk to human health.

The Anand Vihar area was amongst the most polluted areas in the city with AQI of 366 being reported for it; Bawana also not very far behind with AQI of 361.

What AQI numbers mean for public health?

The air quality reading is classified according to the standard AQI ranges from 0-50 which is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is treated as severe.

The levels of pollution in the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories can result in breathing discomfort even among healthy persons and may cause serious health issues for kids, elderly, and those having problems related to respiratory or heart diseases.

Other major cities record comparatively better air quality

Delhi's air pollution crisis continued to be quite severe, while some other cities in the country, especially the large ones, had better air quality in comparison.

The air quality index (AQI) of Ahmedabad was 139 which is moderate. The air quality of Bengaluru was reflected by an AQI of 88, which is of good quality.

The AQI in Chennai was measured at 108, while that in Hyderabad was at an even lower level of 81. The air quality in Jaipur was considered poor with an AQI of 211, while the AQI of Lucknow, which was 193, was classified as moderate.

The moderate air quality in Mumbai, Patna, and Pune is reflected in their AQIs, which are respectively 118, 136, and 149.

Cold wave and dense fog worsen conditions in the capital

Apart from deteriorating air quality, the capital city is also experiencing extreme winter weather. The temperature in the city had a sharp drop early morning to about 3-4 degree Celsius according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which made that morning one of the coldest of the season.

The IMD has predicted that the cold wave conditions will continue to last the whole day, and there will not be any relief for the coming days either.

On Tuesday, the people of Delhi once more encountered their city covered in coldness and fog during morning hours, with the thermometer reading around 4 degrees Celsius.

Morning walkers, workers who take their activities outside, and children going to school have been told to take care of themselves, while those who are sick have been advised to stay indoors as much as possible. Likewise, hospitals have been receiving more and more patients complaining about difficulty breathing and also suffering from colds.

On the other hand, even with the harsh weather, the rehearsal for the 77th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path is in full swing. The security forces have taken all necessary measures, and the participants are still in their respective places.